BALKAN STUDIES

Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΣΕ ΚΑΘΕΣΤΩΣ ΕΠΙΤΗΡΗΣΗΣ ΛΟΓΩ ΔΙΑΦΘΟΡΑΣ

Copyright: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/greco/default_en.asp

Η Ελλάδα τίθεται (με βάση το άρθρο 32 του Κανονισμού της Επιτροπής) σε καθεστώς αυστηρής επιτήρησης μέχρι το τέλος του έτους, διάστημα κατά το οποίο οι ελληνικές αρχές θα πρέπει υποβάλλουν έκθεση, σχετικά με την ενδεχόμενη πρόοδο που θα έχουν παρουσιάσει στον τομέα πάταξης της διαφθοράς.  Read more (Full Report)

Petros Makris-Kourkoulos
(RIEAS Research Associate and Energy Security Analyst)

Copyright: www.rieas.gr

It was quite obvious and more than expected. Burgas, the fourth-largest city in Bulgaria and an important industrial, transport and tourist center in the Black Sea, became the place of an outrageous terrorist incident when five Israeli tourists were killed by unidentified suicide bomber, whose roots are suspected to come from Hezbollah or Al Qaeda Islamist groups. It was the second attempt against Israeli targets the last month but the first was successfully deterred in Cypriot ground by the Cypriot Intelligence Service when a supposed member of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was trying to strike on Israeli citizens. The incident gives a chance for further reflections on co-existence between Islam and the European Security Model. .......  Read more

Effi Lambropoulou
(Professor, Criminology, Department of Sociology,
Panteion University of Social & Political Sciences, Athens, Greece)

Copyright: www.rieas.gr

Greece’s debt crisis, shrinking economy, surging unemployment and the continuous waves of illegal immigrants have transformed Athens, once considered one of Europe’s safest capitals, into a city with a growing public sense of insecurity.  Today, a part of the city centre of Athens is actually being divided into 'sectors of influence' by several criminally-involved immigrant groups,  while two out of seven Athenian communities are largely controlled by organised crime. Previously bourgeois quarters have been gradually 'colonised' by 'legal'-illegal immigrant groups with the support of certain locals and in particular real estate 'gangs' and proprietors, bookkeepers, civil engineers and lawyers. For years now, with the inertia of Greek governments, national and local, concerning immigration, this deteriorating situation has occurred relatively quickly........    Read more

Το RIEAS παρουσιάζει ενα εξαιρετικό βιβλίο της Δικηγόρου/Συγγραφέας  Δρ. Φωτεινή Ριζάβα με θέμα: “ Οργανωμένο Εγκλημα: Θεωρητική Προσέγγιση, κατ’άρθρον ερμηνεία και νομολογιακή αντιμετώπιση”, Νομική Βιβλιοθήκη (2012).   Διαβάστε εδώ

Nikolas Stylianou
(RIEAS Research Associate, Security Analyst & PhD candidate in Security-Strategic Studies) 

Copyright: www.rieas.gr

In the last years, cyberspace has been transformed into a distinct theatre of war operations, a sub-arena within the overall theatre of war which is characterized by its own norms, patterns and dynamics. Cyber-warfare is associated with the fifth dimension of defence with the rest four being the land, the sea, air and space. To the time, several states have developed cyber-security strategies and have incorporated cyberspace as an integral part of their national security strategies. Specifically, European states that have developed cyber-security strategies are Estonia, Finland, the Czech Republic, France, Slovakia, Germany, Lithuania, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The United States, Canada, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand set the puzzle in regards to the countries that have developed comprehensive cyber-security strategies. The afore-mentioned list explicitly indicates the global recognition in regards to the emergence of challenges that affect the security of cyberspace. More countries are expected to extend the list of countries possessing cyber-security strategies in the coming years. Cyber-space is aptly called the battlefield of the 21st century.

Daniel Little
(RIEAS Senior Advisor)

Copyright: www.rieas.gr

Given the economic malaise of the Eurozone, speculation over whether Greece will exit or not takes full stage over the more insidious impacts of such crises.  Looking around Europe, right-wing extremism is on the ascendancy against a backdrop of anger, resentment and finger pointing over who is at fault.  As a result, xenophobic if not outright neo-Nazi activity is now prevalent in countries victimized by the original version several decades earlier.  Since we have been there before, the issue now arises whether we recognize and give pause to the implications of future economic decisions on the people.  Unless it addresses the sentiment on the street, history teaches us that charismatic people waiting in the wings have a ready list of scapegoats to bear this brunt instead....... Read more