As the European Union adjusts its policies in prepa­ration for a new round of enlargement, relations between Moldova and the European Union (EU) have entered a new stage of devel­opment. Natalia Stercul (Foreign Policy Associ­ation fo the Republic of Moldova) analyses the situation.

Georgia is on the path to author­i­tarian consol­i­dation of power. The systematic restriction of civil society, political compe­tition, and freedom of assembly goes hand in hand with a foreign policy shift away from the EU. An analysis by Nino Chachava and Saba Bachveli (both: Civil Society Foundation, Georgia).

According to Oliver Moody, people in the Baltic states have been aware of the threat posed by Russia for much longer. The Berlin corre­spondent for The Times and Sunday Times has just written a book about “The Baltic Sea Conflict Zone” (“Konflik­tzone Ostsee”) In an interview with Till Schmidt, he explains what we can learn from the Baltic states.

Over the course of its 75-year history, NATO has weathered many storms. At least two previous crises were existential – and in both cases, the US played a key role. The new crisis in the transat­lantic alliance, triggered by President Trump, runs deeper. Europe needs a bold and strong strategy to brave the storm. Gerlinde Niehus, former Deputy Director for Defense and Security Cooper­ation at NATO, analyzes the current situation for us.

How does Ukraine view the Ukraine Recovery Conference and the results of EU elections? Why did Mustafa Nayyem resign as head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infra­structure? Marieluise Beck in conver­sation with Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, member of the Verkhovna Rada and Chair of the Committee of Ukraine’s integration into the European Union.

Unlike Ukraine and Moldova, Georgia has not been given candidate status to EU-Membership in June 2022. In order to receive it, the country must fulfill twelve recom­men­da­tions of the EU Commission, including reforms in the areas of deoli­garchization and anti-corruption. In his policy brief, Sergi Kapanadze analyzes the current status in both areas and makes concrete recom­men­da­tions for action.