Robert Bosch Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia

The DGAP’s Discussion Group on Poland convened on April 5, 2017 to examine the pressing topics of Poland’s policy toward the EU, various views on “multi-speed Europe,” and Poland’s bilateral relations with Germany. The meeting took place under the Chatham House Rule.

Valeria Gontareva, governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, spoke on March 29 at the DGAP about the current progress of reform in the Ukrainian banking sector and the challenges ahead.

Moldova, the former frontrunner of European rapprochement, has become a main concern. Vested interests and deep-rooted corruption are the main obstacle to substantial reforms in the country’s political, social and economic spheres. The new president, Igor Dodon, even questions the effectiveness of the Association Agreement with the EU signed in 2016. He openly argues for the alternative: joining the Russia-sponsored Eurasian Union.

Former US ambassador Alexander “Sandy” Vershbow discussing security issues with Olaf Böhnke of Rasmussen Global and the DGAP’s Stefan Meister and Daniela Schwarzer, followed by an audio interview in our podcast series Perspectives.

When the Central and Eastern European countries joined the EU in 2004 and 2007, it was assumed that they would continue their democratic and economic transformation. Today, the region is experiencing a decline in democratic standards and governance practices at the same time as Russia’s economic grip on the region seems to have strengthened. This event presents the findings of the “The Kremlin Playbook:Understanding Russian Influence in Central and Eastern Europe," a study recently published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in cooperation with the Sofia-based Center for the Study of Democracy.