• Essay by Katinka Barysch, Dr Rainer Hermann, 22 June 2007

    Many EU politicians and their voters are unsure about the merits of Turkish accession. Europe’s entrepreneurs are not. They are showing confidence by investing billions into the fast-growing Turkish economy, partly because they expect that EU accession will continue to change the country for the better.

  • Policy brief by David Gowan, 19 June 2007

    Serbia's accession prospects are looking up, following the formation of a new government in Belgrade and the resumption of SAA talks with the EU. However, disagreements over Kosovo could quickly derail the process again.

  • Insight by Katinka Barysch, 15 June 2007

    I have recently come back from Turkey, where the mood is a mixture of relief, hope and anxiety: relief that the army has remained in the barracks; hope that the early election in July will result in a workable compromise between the AKP and the secularists; and anxiety that the crisis that started in April has done lasting damage to Turkish society and its political

  • Bulletin article by Katinka Barysch, 01 June 2007

    Can things get worse for Turkey? The presidential election is stalled; the army threatens to intervene; millions are protesting in the streets; EU negotiations remain partly suspended; terrorism in the South-East could prompt military forays into northern Iraq; and the new French president wants to see Turkey in a Mediterranean Union but not in the EU.

  • Insight by Charles Grant, 08 May 2007

    Most EU governments wanted Nicolas Sarkozy to win the presidential election. They think his liberalising economic agenda stands a fair chance of boosting France’s lacklustre economic performance.

  • Insight by Katinka Barysch, 03 May 2007

    Turkey has aborted its presidential election and called for an early parliamentary one. The army, it appears, is still on stand-by. Prime Minister Erdogan accused the country’s highest court of having fired “a bullet at democracy” by declaring the first round of voting on his presidential candidate, Abdullah Gul, invalid.

  • Opinion piece by Charles Grant
    Russia Profile, 15 January 2007

    The enlargement of the EU is slowing down. Bulgaria and Romania have just joined, bringing the membership to 27, but in many EU countries there is little enthusiasm for extending the Union's boundaries further.

  • Bulletin article by Katinka Barysch, 01 December 2006

    The EU may decide to halt the accession talks with Turkey – or the Turkish government may walk away from them. But has either seriously thought through the consequences?