Tag: Democracy
New EU Strategy for Central Asia: First reactions
Editorial
Enough to do for the EU in Central Asia
I always have a ‘to-do list’ at work. And, like most people, before I complete one task, I already have a...
A new EU-Central Asia Strategy: Deepening relationships and generating long-lasting impact
Introduction
Over the past decade, the European Union (EU) has become an active actor in Central Asia. It has expanded its diplomatic presence, established co-operation mechanisms and increased its development...
Uzbekistan opening up
Optimism and doubt…
Uzbekistan has begun to take steps towards openness and economic and political reform. Since the death of President Islam Karimov in September 2016 and the parliamentary appointment...
Towards a new EU Strategy for Central Asia
Tactics or Strategy?
Ten years after the inception of the European Union’s (EU) Strategy for Central Asia, in June 2017 the European Council initiated a process to develop a new...
Mastering a Façade democracy: elections in Uzbekistan
President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan has been re-elected after scoring 90 per cent of votes at the Uzbek general elections held on 29 March 2015. According to offcial estimates,...
Uncharted waters: Presidential successions in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Popular legend holds that the 18th century French King, Louis XV, claimed that after his death everything would fall apart (après moi, le déluge). To outsiders, a similar uncertainty...
Trading values with Kazakhstan
The European Union (EU) and Kazakhstan have become important partners over the past decade. The EU is Kazakhstan’s leading trade partner, accounting for 40 per cent of its exports....
The EU Needs a New Values-Based Realism for its Central Asia Strategy
Last summer, on the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the EU Strategy for Central Asia, the European Council approved continuation of the Strategy’s implementation in its current form....
EU Human Rights and Democratisation Assistance to Central Asia: In Need of Further Reform
Introduction
One of the declared priorities of the European Union (EU) in Central Asia is the strengthening of good governance, rule of law, human rights and democratisation. Given the EU’s...
Democracy in Central Asia: Sowing in unfertile fields?
Introduction
Central Asia is one of the most repressive regions in the world. Compared with the two other former-Soviet regions of Eastern Europe (Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine) and the South...