Where to after Greentree? (by Andreas Theophanous). Despite the fact that there was a huge gap between the positions of the two sides in Cyprus, the UN Secretary General proceeded with his much anticipated Greentree invitations to the “two community leaders”. As is often the case, several important personalities including the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barosso, … MORE

Semantic games and the Greentree-2 talks on Cyprus (by Van Coufoudakis). The fifth round of talks between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot leader has come to an inconclusive end thanks to Turkey’s intransigence, the continuing compromises made by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, and the arrogant … MORE

Making the same mistake twice? (by Giorgos Kentas). The Cyprus question is heading for another stalemate. The latest round of negotiations is slowly going into a meltdown. The gap between the positions of Greek and Turkish Cypriots does not seem bridgeable. Yet, with the benefit of the hindsight, there was not a good chance for a settlement. The effort to reach a breakthrough was actually … MORE

Energy saving: Targets and achievements in Cyprus (by Solon Kassinis). Energy efficiency has a major role to play reducing CO₂ and other greenhouse emissions. However, industrial competitiveness and the overall functioning of society are depended on safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy. Experiencing the impacts of the ongoing financial crisis, it is evident that … MORE

The 2012 U.S. Election (by Monroe Newman). It will be early November before the U.S. casts ballots to decide who will be President for the next four years. Only one of the major candidates – Pres. Obama – is now known and events and arguments in the intervening time could profoundly affect the outcome. However, at this writing, a number of factors seem likely to be influential – some … MORE

Turkish lessons for Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (by Tozun Bahcheli). Islamist political parties have achieved electoral success in various Arab countries in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, most prominently in Tunisia and Egypt. In the parliamentary elections that were conducted in Tunisia in October 2011, the Ennahda party achieved easy victory, while the Muslim Brotherhood’s … MORE

Iraq: The Battle around the “shield of the Arabs” (by Sotiris Roussos). Though European and American interest is now focused in the dramatic uprising in Syria, another major country of the region, Iraq, seems to be a few steps away from the abyss of an all-out sectarian strife. It is interesting to note that the Iraqi political and security elites were deeply concerned about the complete … MORE

The Philosophical Theory of the State: Bernard Bosanquet on ethical citizenship and the idea of the state (by Stamatoula Panagakou). The Philosophical Theory of the State, first published in 1899, is a landmark in British Idealist political thought and one of the major works of the British philosopher and social reformer Bernard Bosanquet (1848-1923). It “was quickly … MORE