Press review

The spread of an ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in Iceland has forced the cancellation of numerous EU meetings. Moreover, the triumph of “hard-liner” Eroğlu in the elections of Northern Cyprus raises potential concerns for the reunification of Cyprus and Turkey’s EU bid. Elsewhere, supporters of Kyrgyzstan's ousted president are revolting against their country's self-proclaimed government.

Estonia is likely to become the seventeenth member of the euro zone in 2011. Furthermore, the Sudanese government declared a national holiday to increase voter turnout in the current elections. Elsewhere, the Croatian president apologised for crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1990s and called on the entire region to cooperate more closely in all areas.

The economic crisis appears to have a significant impact on EU development assistance. Furthermore the Albanian Prime Minister pleads the case for his country's EU accession. Elsewhere, Burma’s main opposition party ‘the National League for Democracy’ decided to boycott their country’s national and regional elections, due to new election laws that are unacceptable to them.

New institutional arrangements under the EU Lisbon Treaty can possibly save the EU development policy from failure. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a new ‘transnational’ party is created with the aim of bringing the country's division to an end. Elsewhere, Sudanese voters get two more days to continue their marathon vote.

Kenya introduced a landmark electronic register aimed at curbing fraud in future elections, which led to widespread chaos in 2008. Elsewhere, Armenian and Turkish leaders push for closer relations.

EU’s top officials and world leaders expressed sympathy for Poland following a plane crash which killed its president and 95 members of his delegation on the way to Russia. Elsewhere, Hungarian voters changed the political landscape of their country in the second round of national elections, sending the ruling socialists into opposition and laying the ground for the centre-right to win an absolute majority in parliament. In addition, the woman voter turnout in Sudanese polls had exceeded expectations.

The European Commission is preparing to table proposals to lift visa requirements for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore the Commission is looking into Albania’s capabilities to join the EU. In addition, the European Central Bank gave strong support to the eurozone's economic rescue package for Greece. Elsewhere, EU election observers have decided to withdraw from the Sudan's Darfur region due to safety considerations.

The name 'Northern Macedonia' might be acceptable to Athens and create a possible solution to the Macedonia name dispute. The EU parliament seeks change to the Lisbon Treaty over the addition of new MEP’s. Elsewhere, Kyrgyzstan's opposition led by former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva, had taken power and dissolved parliament after protests forced President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to flee the capital. Furthermore, anti-government protesters stormed Thailand’s parliament in the attempt to force elections, creating a ‘state of emergency’ in Bangkok.

Croatia is entering “the final stage” on the road to EU membership. Still the country needs to meet strict conditions before its ready to join. Elsewhere, Mauritian women demand more equality for women to participate in their government. Moreover, the European Commission prepares itself for the prospect of politically sensitive requests from EU citizens, once the key direct-democracy clause of the Lisbon Treaty will take effect. In addition, recent rapprochements between Poland and the Russian Federation on the Katyn massacre were made by Polish leader Donald Tusk and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The implications of the Lisbon Treaty seem to be a little more complicated than previously thought. After the new top posts and the new action service, it is now the citizens’ initiative procedure that is causing the latest commotion. Elsewhere, Angela Merkel tries to soften her tone with Turkey but the message remains the same.