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Fercher, Sonja
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3 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
A new dialogue between the EU and Africa?
Political scientist Sebastian Wadle of the Berliner Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (Berlin Foundation for Science and Politics) calls for the strengthening of multilateral relations between the EU and the countries of Africa in an interview with Sonja Fercher. "The African Union (AU) is problematic from several points of view. For one thing, a multilateral organisation like the AU can only be as good as its member states. We know this from our experiences with the UN and the EU, and one should always bear it in mind. Secondly, it is a young organisation still in the process of development and is both institutionally and financially weak. The EU's history supports the idea of promoting the AU: those who cooperate don't shoot at each other. But multilateral cooperation can be complicated: the EU has 27 member states while the AU has 53, all with different interests which must be taken into account. This entails highly complex negotiation processes, which is why institutionalisation is so important for achieving coherent agreements."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Economic Policy, » Africa, » Europe
All available articles from » Sebastian Wadle
Laicism and unrest in France
Talking to Sonja Fercher, Austrian political scientist Nicola Tietze puts forward the thesis that the French people's secular image of themselves has escalated the conflict in the suburbs: "I believe the grand delusion of the French state is that it promised its citizens equal socio-economic opportunities in exchange for laicism. But the state hasn't been able to keep this promise for a long time. ... This is what I see as French society's main problem, because there is currently a counter-reaction among young Muslims who declare themselves Muslim precisely because they don't have the same opportunities. Much of the rioting in autumn 2005 had to do with the fact that the Republican promise was not kept."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Architecture / Cities, » Religion, » Integration, » France
All available articles from » Nicola Tietze
The EU's progress report on Turkey
In an interview with Sonja Fercher, political scientist Andreas Marchetti of the Centre for European Integration Research (ZEI) in Bonn expresses his doubts that there will be "much talk of progress" in the EU's upcoming progress report on Turkey. "I think the EU will make the following point: now the negotiations have begun and it's time for you to deliver concrete results." He sees Europe's criticism of the role of the Turkish military as an important area. "Despite the fundamental problems with the role of the Turkish army, it has had a beneficial effect on certain aspects of the country's development. In a way it serves as a guarantee that the country will not slip back into a climate dominated by religion. The problem now lies in finding a way to give the army the feeling that it has an important role to play in the process, but that its 'traditional rights' and its traditional role must nonetheless be restricted. This is one of the main tasks the EU will have to confront together with Turkey."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Turkey
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