From poster boy to trouble-maker? The Euro Crisis and Finland’s reputation in the EU

Finland has long prided itself as an obedient and responsible EU member, but the on-going Euro crisis has raised some doubts as to whether such strategy has been at the expense of the Finnish national interest. Voices demanding tougher Finnish policy on Euro zone bailouts are growing louder, but do the adverse reputational effects that follow from the tough line harm Finland’s interest

Euro-Scepticism Is Here to Stay: Finnish Election Results

The result of Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Finland reflects the continuing appeal of the Euro-Sceptic Finns Party, but also the more pronounced division of the country’s electorate into urban liberals and rural conservatives

Managing the crisis through secrecy?

Transparency and access to information in crisis-ridden Europe have become sparse currency. While Brussels aims to tackle tax evasion through openness and more effective exchange of information, the uninvestigated claims of money laundering in Cyprus and the secretive decision-making in the ECB are but few examples of lack of accountability. Much of the crisis management takes place behind closed doors: the former Chairman of the Eurogroup, Jean-Claude Juncker went as far as to suggest in 2011 that the euro group meetings ought to take place in ‘dark, secret rooms’ to avoid speculation by the markets

Moderate gains for Eurosceptics in Finland

In Finland the eurosceptic Finns Party (formerly known as True Finns) led by Timo Soini failed to repeat the landslide of the 2011 general elections despite polling 12.9 percent of the votes and increasing the party’s representation from one to two MEPs out of Finland’s thirteen parliamentarians

Fair and unfair solidarity?

Inter-European solidarity has been in short supply across the Euro zone. While politicians deployed solidarity as one of the rationales for aiding the Greek economy, the notion has largely lost its appeal as the crisis continues. In Finland the rapid erosion of sense of solidarity is embedded in a sense of injustice

Reactions to the Cypriot bailout across the European Press

The dramatic developments with regard to the bailout of Cyprus have dominated the Greek press since the news of the savings levy broke. The focus of the continuous coverage has been on the “unprecedented” and “harsh” character of the decision of the Eurogroup, as well as the future uncertainty for the economies of Cyprus and Greece it entails. “Shock”, “fury” and “chaos” are recurring words in describing a decision for which the role of Germany and Angela Merkel is particularly highlighted

Reactions to the second Cypriot bailout deal from across the European Press

Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s mixed messages on Monday in the aftermath of the bailout were widely reported, along with the national and international economic implications of the new deal, while the run-up to the negotiations on Sunday evening saw politicians across Europe attempt to shift the blame for the previous bailout deal’s most controversial dimension, the penalisation of small Cypriot savers, to Cypriot leaders

Constructing identity through symbols by groups demanding self-determination: Bosnian Serbs and Iraqi Kurds

This contribution revisits the question over which much ink has been spilled in the study of national self-determination; who are the people? More specifically, the authors ask how national identity in self-determination claims is constructed. Drawing on observations from two case studies, they submit that cultural/ethnic definitions of national identity continue to underwrite self-determination claims. The authors argue that these practices have been central to the process of defining and reproducing the group identity on behalf of which the claim to political autonomy is made. The use of symbols and practices referring to territorially bound distinct nations with different linguistic and cultural features compared with other groups inhabiting the state reinforces the assertiveness of self-determination claims. Despite their differences, Bosnian Serbs and Iraqi Kurds typically follow similar trajectories in their use of ethnic, cultural and territorial symbols to reinstate the validity of their demands

Book review: Can peace research make peace? Lessons inacademic diplomacy

This book considers the opportunities that peace research and the teaching of conflict resolution can offer academic diplomacy. Aiming to offer a comprehensive analysis of the conflict in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, it also launches a new theoretical approach, neopragmatism, and offers lessons for the prevention of conflicts elsewhere. The value of this book lies in its highlighting of the practical role scholars can play in facilitating peaceful resolution of conflicts, concludes Outi Keranen

International statebuilding as contentious politics: the case of post conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina

The post-conflict space in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been marked by a multiplicity of statebuilding projects: in addition to the much-analyzed internationally-led statebuilding process, parallel Bosniak, Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat statebuilding trajectories exist. They seek to undermine and challenge the international statebuilding venture by appropriating and adapting the liberal statebuilding processes. This is carried out through the institutions and processes of governance put in place by international statebuilders to subvert the statebuilding trajectory. Focusing on the local appropriation of processes and institutions of governance, the paper maps out the repertoires of contention entailing boycotts, walk-outs, protests and refusals to co-operate in an attempt to explain and understand how local contention vis-à-vis the international statebuilding trajectory is carried out