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2017
Houses of Cards – Post-truth politics from Skopje to Strasbourg
11/2017 27 December 2017For the ECtHR to protect its reputation PACE, the institution which chooses its judges, must itself be transparent and committed to the highest standards. If nobody pays attention, if PACE is run by networks indifferent to democracy, then the prestige and credibility of the Court risks suffering as well.
Wine, dog food and Bosnia clichés – why they matter
10/2017 5 November 2017The dominant clichés are that Bosnia is riven by ethnic hatred; that therefore political stability can only ever be fragile; that the constitutional arrangement which ended the war in 1995 reinforces communal tensions; and that the country remains perpetually on the verge of violent collapse.
Deadly failure – Rome Plan – From Russia with Threats
9/2017 21 July 2017There are no partnerships with migrants' home countries that make sense or have an impact; there is no coherent system for legal migration to replace irregular migration; efforts to fight smugglers appear helpless, even pathetic at times.
Der Rom Plan – ESI und die Getriebenen in Berlin
8/2017 20 June 2017Eine schnelle Verbesserung der Lage ist möglich – und bedarf gleichzeitig großer Anstrengungen. Dafür werben wir: eine Politik, die Menschen die Möglichkeit eines sicheren, legalen Weges öffnet, Abschiebungen einschränkt, Leben rettet, und die Qualität von Asylverfahren an der europäischen Außengrenze erhöht.
The phoenix and the black knight in Strasbourg – three things to do now
7/2017 5 June 2017We were convinced from the outset that Europe needs a credible guardian of red lines on basic human rights. It matters hugely, therefore, when such a human rights organisation can be corrupted.
Death penalty in Turkey – Illusions in Europe
6/2017 16 May 2017We suggest how to reform a dysfunctional accession process; and when to bring it to an end. We seek to dispel illusions, restore clarity and propose ways how the European Union and the Council of Europe might better protect fundamental human rights.
Merchants of Doubt or investigating Corruption
5/2017 21 April 2017The choice – and thus the future legitimacy of the Council of Europe – is now in the hands of 33 men and women and, if they fail to act, in the hands of those of the whole of PACE or even other institutions of the Council of Europe.
Open letter to PACE members: backing Sawicki – how to investigate corruption in Strasbourg
4/2017 27 March 2017If PACE wants to restore its credibility, and get to the bottom of this affair which threatens its legitimacy, this must not be allowed to happen.
The Malta Plan – a humane EU border and asylum policy is possible
3/2017 3 February 2017The European Union urgently needs a credible policy on asylum and border management. It must combine effective control of external land and sea borders with respect for existing international and EU refugee law.
Three days that shook Strasbourg – human rights and corruption
2/2017 27 January 2017A political earthquake took place in Strasbourg this week. What happens next will determine the future of Europe's leading human rights body.
The FIFA of human rights – beyond lip-service on anti-corruption
1/2017 18 January 2017At this moment, PACE is shaken by news of a serious scandal, following evidence that votes on key human rights issues have been manipulated for years.
2016
A European swamp – corruption and human rights
8/2016 17 December 2016In this follow-up to Caviar Diplomacy, we take a closer look, four years later, at the progress that has been made on miring the Council of Europe in a swamp of corruption.
Fire in the Aegean – Scenario of failure – How to succeed
7/2016 11 October 2016ESI published an update on the state of implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement on refugees in the Aegean: what has worked, what has failed, and what is to be done.
The most dangerous Wizard in the EU
6/2016 7 October 2016Viktor Orban has exploited the confusion and insecurities around the European refugee crisis, and the weakness of mainstream political leaders, to further expand his influence in EU capitals and in Brussel
Sailing in the dark – 300 with a mission – Visa, terror and the Aegean refugee agreement
5/2016 19 May 2016Today, the road to a credible EU policy on asylum passes through Lesbos.
How the Merkel Plan could fail – and why this would be terrible for human rights
4/2016 17 March 2016The current dramatic shortage of resources means that for all practical purposes the right to an individual review of asylum applications has already vanished for the vast majority of those who arrive in Greece today.
Idomeni proposal – Bosnia and the first circle of hell – Upcoming events on refugees
3/2016 11 March 2016The history of relations between Bosnia and the EU since 2000 shows that whenever Bosnian institutions were seriously challenged by the EU to co-ordinate, they were able to do so – often to the surprise of their European counterparts.
Refugee crisis – a breakthrough is possible
2/2016 19 February 2016We must challenge one popular myth: the notion that it is the fault of Greece that relocation of refugees is not working. In fact, this scheme it is not working any better in Italy. The problem lies deeper.
A race of plans – Samsom versus Orban – Five steps – Montenegro exodus
1/2016 8 February 2016There is a race today in Europe between two very different concepts of how to restore control over the European Union's external borders.
2015
Getting results? How muddled thinking prolongs the refugee crisis
14/2015 14 December 2015If the EU is serious about making readmission work, it must help Greece increase it capacity to file readmission requests and return accepted migrants to Turkey.