Search

This article examines the potential consequences of the United States withdrawing from its security commitments to Europe and the implications for nuclear deterrence in the region. It presents different scenarios for Europe's nuclear future, including the development of a European nuclear deterrent or nuclear proliferation among European states. The article acknowledges the challenges and limitations of these scenarios and suggests that a new division of labor, with European allies focusing on conventional defense and the US providing nuclear deterrence, may be the most sustainable option. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining transatlantic peace and security through credible extended nuclear deterrence. [Extracted from the article]

A qualitative assessment of the conventional military balance between NATO and Russia may form a basis of any potential conventional arms control (CAC) agreement in Europe. Article discusses methods to assess force capability and military balances, and then suggests updates to the methods based on insights from recent conflicts, military capability trends and developments. The article offers a weighted static force analysis model to assess military balances, that can be used for CAC agreements, called the Quantitative Approach to Conventional Arms Control (QuACAC). This approach may help narrow areas of disagreement between negotiating parties, and provide a basis for CAC agreement adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article points to the plight of man in the 21st century and his intimidating spiritual and axiological confusion. The 2020 COVID pandemic, the 2022 war in Ukraine and high economic inflation have exposed the lack of stable ethical values and lasting references for Europe. On the one hand, many EU citizens live today in uncertainty and fear, falling in line with populist slogans, and on the other hand, strong xenophobic and fundamentalist currents have emerged in the Catholic Church. Europe is arguably not so much in need of a return to over-institutionalized Christianity, but rather of a search for new forms and systems that would express the ideas of Jesus of Nazareth in innovative ways. Postmodernity with its characteristic elements, i.e., pluralization, mercantilization and rapid change, seem to be completely incompatible with the conventionally accepted Christian understanding of God, the concept of man and the world around him. Therefore, this is a great challenge to all Christian theologians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Europe's economic relationship with China beyond the Belt and Road Initiative. It highlights Chinese investments, strategic sectors, and infrastructure development. It emphasizes that while the E.U.-China trade relationship is institutionalized, individual member states have their own trade relationships and concepts of sovereignty, human rights, and environmental standards, creating a hybrid nature in E.U. economic diplomacy.

In real terms, global military spending increased by 3.7% in 2022 to a record $2240 billion. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia played a significant role in the increase in spending, with military spending in Europe rising by 13% in the year – the highest yearly increase in total European spending since the conclusion of the Cold War. Significant increases in spending by Russia and Ukraine were primarily responsible for the remarkable gain, but several other European nations also increased their military budgets in 2022. This essay examines the impact of national choices regarding sovereignty, industrial issues, and strategic needs on procurement strategies, and then measures and discusses the changes and continuities in the European procurement process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the complexity of the global economy in times of war in Ukraine and post-pandemic. It highlights the end of the neoliberal era and key trends that will shape the new scenario. From this starting point, it is necessary for the European Union to develop "strategic autonomy" to address vulnerabilities in energy and technology, promoting the circular economy and a more active international stance. The importance of a unified European response to challenges is emphasized, considering a new economic cycle with slower growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second decade of the 21st century has seen some unexpected twists in the world order. Europe, which has gotten accustomed to an extended era or peace, now confronts a war in its heart. If Russia's aggression against Ukraine has revived the idea of an East-West conflict, the close alignment between Moscow and Beijing has reinforced it. Meanwhile, the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ana the Ukraine war on developing countries has brought the forgotten North-South contradictions to the fore. This essay unpacks some of the complexities underlying the "Global South" narrative by looking at India's recent surprising championship of the idea. It argues that today's Global South debate is very different from the one that dominated the global discourse in the 1960s and 1970s. As the West tries to reengage the developing world on a pragmatic basis, India is a natural bridge to the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 12 March 2022, I attended Dogs of Europe, a performance by Belarus Free Theatre (BFT) at London's Barbican Theatre. Adapted from the novel by Belarusian writer Alhierd Bacharevič, the play imagines a dystopian future in which Russia's imperial expansion swallows up swathes of eastern Europe to create a 'Russian Reich'. The timing of the work is uncanny and unsettling – it unintentionally (but astutely) coincided with the horrifying Russian invasion of Ukraine. The novel and stage adaptation depict a Europe that has become a fragmented European League of States with little unifying purpose or moral compass ('people in Europe no longer read', as one character announces). My encounter with Dogs of Europe considers how the BFT uses performance techniques to offer an affecting and intimate geopolitics, with the aspiration of motivating audiences towards an activist stance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Departing from Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine in 2022, this article analyses the OSCE-based security order that prevailed since the Cold War and that later was formalised in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The first conclusion is that the OSCE-based European security order was successively weakened, and at the longest can be said to have functioned until 2014. The second conclusion is that this security order will not reappear even if the OSCE survives the consequences of the war. The article then analyses the partially parallel development of the EU as a security actor in Europe, and the potential of the EU to become a node in a new European security order. The third and fourth conclusions are that the EU has the potential of being a node in a new European security order, but that it will also need to become a node in a larger global order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the shift in hierarchies of knowledge in social anthropology due to Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Topics include the perpetuated existence of cultural conditions in Central and Eastern Europe, the role of implicit ideological assumptions and the dismissal of local perspectives in favor of dominant interpretations.

Today's conflict of interests can be traced back to the Cold War. The present article reviews the past and current situation in Europe's energy crisis from the start of the Russia-Ukraine war to its first anniversary. Since the US had the capability to export energy to its allies in Europe, they were able to use this opportunity to create a distance between themselves and Moscow in energy issues. The US has outrun Russia in the oil export race in recent years, and to counter this competitive threat, Russia had to act. Different narratives appeared in media reports on energy issues after the invasion of Ukraine, and policy makers often made confusing statements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union's response to the COVID-19 pandemic revealed changes and continuity in the structure and the functioning of the European project. In lieu of a conclusion to the Special Issue, this article discusses what those lessons tell us about how Europe responds to the following crisis. We compare European responses to the pandemic to those that followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We observe more differences than similarities. The same actors do not always play the central role, solidarity among Europeans is sometimes more challenging to engineer, and the requirements to make the overall project more resilient can point in different directions. Such findings show that any argument that Europe is forged through crisis is unlikely to tell us much about what Europe is or where it may be headed. In that sense, the EU is a sui generis multi-level, multi-faceted actor that can change shape in response to events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technological and digital revolution is an epochal change full of complexity, uncertainties and challenges. It is changing the way we live, not only as individuals, but also as societies. In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, energy challenges and inflationary pressures, increasing public investment for the digital transition makes perfect sense. Thus, with the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, it was the first time that a joint debt issue was made at European level to finance major transformation projects to acquire digital sovereignty under the principles and values chosen for the European project. The big game is still to be played and Europe must not be the chessboard. Knowing the weaknesses, risks and threats that Europe faces is vital in order to plan a strategy, and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan should serve this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to analyze the new European political cycle; we must take into account several events: the Conference on the future of Europe; the limits of the COFOE; the proposal of the European Parliament to reform the treaties; the jug of cold water from the Council in June 2022; and the incidence of Russia's war of aggression on the future of Europe. All this will be relevant in the V Spanish Presidency, particularly in view of the reform of the treaties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russian-Ukrainian war is the gravest display of the global tension in the hybrid system where war and peace compete as dominant world orders. In view of this, the paper presents the key dimensions of warfare's societal consequences in the context of the Ukrainian situation. Notably, the ongoing full-scale military conflict has all the characteristics of a hybrid war, unprecedented in its scale in the contemporary history of Europe. In the context of creating a strategic vision of postwar recovery goals and long-term development of the Ukrainian state, the societal consequences of a hybrid war waged against Ukraine must be investigated. The example of Ukraine is used as a backdrop for a detailed assessment of societal consequences of a modern hybrid war in three dimensions - demographic, socio-economic, and macrofinancial aspects. Analysis results indicate the risks inherent in offsetting the societal consequences of the Russian invasion into Ukraine. It is concluded that societal methodology is suitable for exploring the current dynamic transformations in society and its integral structures, and that the application of this methodology should be popularized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is one of the branches of the Belt & Road Initiative. Its importance is growing for political reasons: the war in Ukraine and the pressure from the US to limit Chinese business activity in Europe. If trade links between China and the EU are nevertheless maintained, a TITR with a fulcrum in Azerbaijan could absorb much of the now bottleneck traffic on the northern section of the BRI. Bulgaria will be able to take advantage of this through its infrastructure assets if the EU clarifies its strategy on the BRI and revives the TRACECA programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín Económico de ICE is the property of S.G.E.E.I.P.C., Secretaria de Estado de Comercio, Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Europe is likely to remain reliant on Russian gas in the short term. In the absence of this gas supply, the continent is likely to experience shortages and associated inflation. Immediate solutions include diversification of Europe's natural gas supply and the use of alternative fossil fuels, such as coal, but the latter would come with significant climate costs. Over a longer period, there is more scope for reshaping Europe's energy policy and diversifying its energy supply, but these would come at a cost. Expanding renewable energy capacity within Europe is critical. Fine‐tuning policy to balance climate objectives against the security of the energy supply will be difficult. To ensure energy security and emerge from this conflict greener, the answer may be renewable energy produced in Europe. Investment in renewables in developing countries, particularly in the continent's trading partners, also holds promise, as it would allow more natural gas imports into Europe while contributing to Europe's climate commitments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Law is central to what the European Union is and how it works, but the mismatch between the legal and political dimensions of European integration is undermining the EU from within and limiting its ability to project its power beyond its borders. This article aims to explicate the clash between Europe as a community of law, on the one hand, and Europe as a political project, on the other, by focusing on two crises. The first is the crisis that has arisen in relation to Poland's backsliding when it comes to democracy and the rule of law. The second crisis is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The two crises are interlinked. An effective response to Russian aggression requires of the EU the kind of solidarity, confidence and unity of purpose that has been undercut by Poland's rule-of-law crisis and by the inadequacy of European responses to it. Thus, both crises unsettle the EU's constitutional settlement, revealing the political limits of legal integration. We find that, if Europe's leaders are to better align the EU's legal order with its political goals and capacity to act, then they will need to acknowledge, and work within, the constraints the EU faces as a union of nation states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twice already, Russia has launched a war on the pretext of these states moving closer toward NATO or the EU. Indeed, a fresh look at how the 19 SP th sp century Concert of Europe dealt with post-Napoleonic France provides a possible answer to the vexing question of how to protect vulnerable states I from i , while building a sustainable continental order I with i , today's Russia. Yet, as researcher Henrik Larsen recently argued in these pages, NATO and the West stand "on the precipice of a ... maladaptation" by "overreacting to the challenges posed by its illiberal contenders."[55] Under conditions of growing great-power disparity, a purposefully limited form of great power coordination that privileges stability over ideology and shuns universal aspirations in favor of pragmatic cooperation thus might - in fact, if not in principle - enhance the security even of those smaller states that will find their subjugation under the decisions made by an exclusive great power club hard to accept. Since the end of the Cold War, the idea of reviving concert diplomacy as a means to manage order and security in a reunited Europe has been repeatedly discussed in theory,[1] but never pursued in practice. [Extracted from the article]

The author discusses the changes in the way protection and assistance to refugees are delivered during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and Covid-19 lockdowns. Topics include the provision of immediate protection and rights to Ukrainian refugees in Europe through the Temporary Protection Directive, the generosity showed by Australia to people escaping the conflict in Ukraine and the difference in the treatment of global refugees based on nationality and racialized practice.

This study used secondary data from World Development Indicators to examine the implication of the Russia-Ukraine war on Trade relations and Foreign Direct Investment flows into other parts of the world. Data from 85 countries between 2012 and 2021 were analyzed using the generalized method of moments (GMM) technique. Findings revealed that the coefficients of export goods, international trade represented by external trade, food exports and fuel exports had positive and significant results from both panels and all the sub-regions, except for Europe, which revealed a mixed result. Conversely, results from food imports, military expenditure, fuel imports and fossil energy consumption revealed negative but significant results, except food imports in Europe showed an insignificant result. Conclusively, the findings of this study revealed that the current war has increased military expenditure, which has caused a significant setback to FDI and trade relations. This has undermined both bilateral and multilateral trade relations and cut off supply chains, markets, and value chains that have long existed before the crisis amongst countries across the globe. Therefore, world leaders should do everything possible to restore peace between these two countries because it will do the world better than their selfish desires. In addition, if the war degenerates more than this, it would not only be injurious to the global market, trade routes, economy and FDI but can lead the world to another world war. Conclusively, this study will help world countries, governments, leaders, policymakers, investors, and companies in various decision-making endeavors, including war-related decisions. World leaders with management crisis skills who can unite nations should help mediate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to restore peace. However, further studies are still required on this ongoing war for scholarly guidance as there are still limited empirical studies in the world literature regarding this crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial paper tackles the issue of the consumer attitudes toward energy reduction and changing energy consumption behaviors. This topic is of special relevance today as Europe faces an unprecedented energy crisis as a result of diverting from Russian supplies of oil and gas due to the war in Ukraine. For many years now, Europe has relied upon cheap and affordable Russian oil and gas (in fact, the European Green Deal and the strategy for the decarbonization of the economy by 2030 were indirectly based on it), but the transition to the renewable future now appears to be jeopardized. As energy prices are soaring globally, it is not yet clear whether this would have an effect on significantly changing consumer behavior and increasing energy efficiency and security as many consumers are reluctant to change their old habits and are used to having their energy on demand and for any possible occasion. However, changing energy consumption behaviors would be beneficial not only for handling the current energy crisis but also for setting the long-term trends with respect to energy saving, which is crucial for fighting global warming and climate change while sustaining economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document presents a comprehensive review of research works, regulatory frameworks, technical solutions, and commercial trends related to the integration of shallow geothermal energy (SGE) technologies in modern 5th-generation district heating and cooling (5GDHC) networks. This literature and market analysis is contextualized by the present geopolitical, environmental, and societal scenario in Europe. In this sense, decarbonization of the heating and cooling sector is a crucial piece in the energy transition puzzle to keep global warming below the critical threshold of 1.5 °C by the next century. Moreover, Ukraine war has added urgency to end up with fossil fuel dependency. The most relevant outcome of this literature review is the synergistic relationship between SGE, 5GDHC networks, and urban environments. SGE is most efficiently deployed in urban environments when it is part of a district heating and cooling network, and the modern concept of 5GDHC is the most suitable scenario for it. Since the potential contribution of SGE to the decarbonization of the heating and cooling supply is mostly untapped across Europe, this synergistic effect represents a possible boost. Hybridization with solar photovoltaics and/or storage makes it even more attractive. Outstanding cases are reviewed, challenges for the future are presented, and tools to overcome social reluctance and/or lack of awareness are described, along with a discussion of the stimuli for the deployment of SGE and 5GDHC networks. A particular focus on Mediterranean countries is presented, where SGE systems and DHC networks of any kind show a particularly low deployment compared to the rest of Europe. To this end, the second part of this work evaluates, justifies, and analyzes the possibilities and potentialities of their application in this zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2015, a series of high-impact global crises has sent shockwaves across Europe. From the so-called migrant crisis of 2015, through the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, national minorities have, like their majority counterparts, seen considerable changes to their lives and lifestyles as a result of measures taken by the national executives in their host countries. It is possible that significant changes to border control and the increased importance of nation-state action in times of crisis have affected the ways in which national minorities understand themselves visà-vis their host and kin-states. By reviewing recent media comments and academic research, this article hypothesises that these international crises have pushed national minorities away from local identities and towards more national and European discourses. As a commentary, this article encourages future exploration of this hypothesis in other minority communities across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeszyty Studenckie Wydzialu Ekonomicznego Uniwersytetu Gdanskiego "Nasze Studia" is the property of Fundacja Rozwoju Uniwersytetu Gdanskiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is no shortage of innovative digital business ideas in Europe, but only a few companies are expanding or creating access to global markets, while other major commercial players (often benefiting from government support, low regulatory standards or low tax rates) threaten Europe's influence on technological development and challenge European values and interests. Scholars in the EU believe that Europe should strive for both open strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty, reducing its dependence on third countries for some key technologies, especially in terms of security. In addition, it can be noted that in an increasingly geopolitically fragmented world with strong players, the EU is able to defend its position only in certain cases. As a trading superpower with a multilateral order, with its social economy model, it achieves its goals if it has the highest qualitative advantages. The EU seeks strategic autonomy, which does not require the obligatory presence on any side in the G-2 economic conflict (USA and China)."Horizon Europe" presents the so-called "EU Missions", which means specific goals to be achieved through research and innovation. In this case, managers are responsible for each goal. These five missions include: adaptation to climate change; fight against cancer; restoration of oceans and waters; climate-neutral smart cities; and soil. At the EU level, great efforts are being made to support the competitiveness of European industry by creating a level playing field, constantly adjusting the legal framework (policy of the order) in order to change the economic reality and encourage investment. The criticism of an active industrial policy is that it has certain risks. The question arises: what is the basis of this problem and how to identify opportunities to mitigate it?. First, given that it is about supporting a particular sector or technology, industrial policy is at high risk of being seized and influenced by interest groups. Moreover, in times of rapid technological change, there is a risk of focusing resources on building leadership in areas/technologies that can quickly lose strategic relevance. Finally, there is the risk of maintaining support even when it is no longer needed or when it becomes clear that the policy is not working, and there is also the risk of early termination of support. This is especially true when political leaders are actively involved in the process, linking the success of the policy to the success of the particular firm that serves as their "national champion". Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in April 2022, the EU government unveiled a "recovery package" of renewable energy policy reforms. It aims for 80 percent renewable energy in 2030 and 100 percent in 2035, meaning the annual expansion must quadruple to reach the 215 gigawatt target set by the end of the decade. In this area, industrial policy has been little affected, indicating that it (industrial policy) has had only a limited positive impact on innovation and the economy as a whole. At the same time, this created huge financial obligations for governments. Since the 1980s, this belief in the limited power of industrial policy (and governments more broadly) has spread to developing countries as well. Most of them, after two decades of massive public investment, were finally forced into market liberalization (what has been called the "Washington Consensus"). Based on the identified successes and failures, there are six key features that should be taken into account when developing successful industrial policies in order to maximize their impact on innovation and minimize the associated risks. Features of the European industrial policy: I. Orientation to the future. Industrial policy should focus on present and future innovation. Its purpose is to stimulate those industries in which market failure prevents the desired equilibrium from being established. This approach contributes to the strategic autonomy of the EU. II. Focus on industry and technology. Focus on areas and technologies, not individual companies. The goal of industrial policy is to promote long-term competitiveness and sustainable growth without compromising consumers. III. Competition is power. An effective industrial policy should not be aimed at strengthening existing players in the market. An effective industrial policy should not weaken competition policy, especially through mergers and acquisitions. IV. The actions of economic policy are carried out from the top down, but also from the bottom up. Industrial policy is a top-down approach to economic development. However, it should not be transferred to economic planning. It should encourage experimentation and innovation from the bottom up. V. Accountability, impartiality and adaptability of industrial policy. Transparency is key to preventing or reducing the risk of undue pressure on policy from interest groups. Policy outcomes and assumptions need to be constantly monitored and adapted quickly if necessary. VI. Holistic (unifying) approach. A successful industrial policy should not only promote innovation in critical technological areas (for example, through targeted research and development), but also use the tools to boost demand growth in these sectors. Industrial policy, even if successful, may have some negative side effects that need to be mitigated. In this regard, the key role belongs to the green and digital transformation, which is rapidly expanding and gaining more importance, ensuring the prosperity of Europe in the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In postwar Europe the remembrance of the Holocaust (קאַטאַסטראָפע Katastrofe in Yiddish) endows the continent's societies and politics with a clear-cut moral dimension. All agree that remembering about and researching the Holocaust is necessary for preventing a repeat of the murderous past in the future. Yet, no reflection is really devoted to the most revealing fact that the wartime genocide's main victims – Jews – exist no longer in Europe as a community with their specific Yiddish language and culture. Due to the twin-like closeness between Yiddish and German, prior to the war, Yiddish speakers ensured a world-wide popularity for the German language. After 1945, Yiddish-speaking Holocaust survivors and Jewish poets exorcised and reinvented the then-murderers' language of German, so that poetry could be written in it again. In reciprocation, Germany and Europe – shockingly and quite incomprehensibly – abandoned their duty to preserve and cultivate Yiddish language and culture as a necessary "inoculation" against another genocide. Forgetting about this duty imperils Europe and its inhabitants; the danger now is sadly exemplified by Russia's ongoing genocidal-scale war on Ukraine. Not a single Yiddish library exists in today's Europe, which is an indictment in itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 9 May, the EU's "Europe Day", newly re-elected President Macron gave a speech which suggested treaty change to establish a three-speed Europe, with a hard core of full members embracing new areas of European sovereignty, notably in defence, while a "political community" would accommodate an outer circle of former or future members of the EU, such as the UK and Ukraine respectively. As such, a preoccupied EU, a Brexit-obsessed UK, a politically inchoate Germany, an AUKUS-distracted France, and two EU member states, Poland and Hungary, straining the rule of law, were to face what was to become the most severe strategic and military crisis in Europe since the end of the Second World War. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz highlighted a further challenge with his call for EU institutional and voting reform, including the extension of qualified majority voting to EU foreign- and security-policy decisions prior to the EU being ready to admit any further member states. EU-United Kingdom relations, already strained by the process of Brexit, were again damaged by months of disputes between the EU and the UK-headquartered AstraZeneca over the slow pace of the company's delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to the EU. Europe: Drivers of Strategic Change 186 / 2021-22 Review 189 / Germany's New Government: How has the coalition responded to war in Europe and other challenges?. [Extracted from the article]

Advancing Global Human Rights and, for Decades, Security in Europe by Peter L. W. Osnos with Holly Cartner Davy credits the Helsinki process with "defrosting" the Cold War, but he does not address the larger question of whether détente accelerated or delayed the happy end of the confrontation. On the question of whether the Helsinki model can be applied elsewhere in the world, Davy's "short answer is no, [for] Helsinki was specific to its time and place in Cold War Europe" (p. 239). [Extracted from the article]

Concerns have arisen that increased migration to Europe may be an indirect consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Global food prices have risen to record levels as a result of the invasion. Hunger, it has been assumed, may drive people to migrate. However, the drivers of migration are complex. Many factors other than food prices may influence decisions to migrate. There does not appear to be a general relationship between global food prices and migration to Europe. The global flow of remittances is unlikely to be significantly affected by the indirect effects of the invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real estate represents one of the most profitable and of interest areas of investment. In 2019, the year before the pandemic, real estate represented 3.1% of Europe's GDP, and investment in new constructions or in the renovation of old ones accounted for more than 10% of all investment products in the European economy. This paper analyses the evolution of the real estate industry in the post-pandemic period, the trend being a favourable one, of growth. Real estate constitutes the basis for the proper functioning and development of the other sectors of the economy, therefore it is important to analyse the reaction of the industry in relation to an economic crisis, such as the one caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The crisis has been the subject of debate for the past two years, as it has caused unprecedented changes in Europe's economy and, of course, in residential markets. Currently, the geopolitical situation in Europe, represented by the conflict in Ukraine and the refugee crisis, has the effect of increasing energy costs, the price of building materials and labour costs. In the given context, we reflected how the real estate market in Europe evolved in the pre- and post-pandemic period, following a series of essential indicators in the field: the evolution of constructions, real property prices, mortgage rates, rents and purchasing power of investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The start of the war in Ukraine in the beginning of the 2022 had a significant impact on Europe, especially on the security of the gas supply. This has led to challenges and imbalances that require immediate action from the European Union in order to gradually end the reliance on imported Russian fossil fuels. As a result, the issue of energy security was brought into attention, gaining real importance at the international, regional and national level, being an extremely important sector for states from a social perspective, economic, political, technological. These developments usher in a new era of study and methodology for energy security. This paper highlights the impact of the energy crisis in Europe that occurred due to the Russia-Ukraine war that started in the beginning of the year and also the measures that the EU took in order to mitigate the effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Without negating geopolitics, the developments in the breakaway entities of Donbas post-cessation of active war; and the fate of the dominant policy options for resolving the conflict need to be understood to explain the missing piece in the puzzle of Russia's choice for war in 2022. These territories were unable to evolve into viable socio-economic and political entities. The conflict never ended, and was spiralling by 2021; corruption was rampant; while professionalising the 'self-defence forces' was an uphill task. Deindustrialising trends and food insecurity prompted population flight and left the areas dependant on Russian support. Ukrainian government continued with military hostilities and an economic blockade, denuding support for Ukrainian unity. These factors together with COVID movement restrictions pushed the population along an irredentist pathway: seeking integration with Russia. In the light of these changes, the dominant policy options that had previously been conceived as potential solutions fared differently. The idea that Donbas would become the viable example of Russian World failed. The option of re-joining a 'reformed Ukraine' failed because Ukraine moved in different direction, also pursuing security agenda considered hostile by Russia. Eventually, recognition and incorporation into Russia appeared as the only prospect left, and triggered a policy pivot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In bringing others together, the Danish and Czechoslovak pursuit of scientific internationalism speaks to the ability of small states to seek "societal shelter" (knowledge and skills not indigenous to the country) from international partners. Scholars studying small states have long been engaged in the unending pursuit of a "holy grail" definition of what constitutes a small state. Thus, many small states have adopted postures of neutrality, signalling the desire both to stay out of conflict and to leverage that orientation for strategic ends. [Extracted from the article]