The practice of diplomacy is generally seen as the alternative to the practice of war. More significantly, where diplomacy fails, war will logically follow. For, as military theorist Carl von Clausewitz famously defined in the early nineteenth century already, “War is the continuation of politics by other means.” Therefore, politics precedes war, and politics is ought to prevent the outbreak ... Read More »
Tomorrow, the people of Russia will cast their votes in the Russian presidential election. Most observers agree that it is not doubtful whether Vladimir Putin will be reelected, but rather whether he will manage to get more than 70% of the votes or not. It is not an understatement to say that Vladimir Putin is one of the most experienced ... Read More »
This article was inspired by an open lecture on the 13th of February given by a RUG professor from the faculty of law, Dimitry Kochenov. In this lecture, which carried the title “What is the value of your nationality?”, Kochenov aimed to highlight that nationality for most people is in fact a restricting, rather than an empowering institution. To consolidate ... Read More »
Despite the dramatic partisan polarisation the United States has seen over the past two decades, there is one thing on which all US politicians seem to agree: America is the Greatest Nation on Earth. Their interpretations may differ – from Reagan’s proud Shining City on a Hill to Obama’s unique brand of modest, self-critical belief in American potential – but ... Read More »
It has been over two weeks since Easter has finished. Normally, Easter greetings are coming from the conventional authorities, like the Pope (in 65 languages) or country leaders of the Western world. North Korea can be listed on the bottom in terms of likelihood to receive Easter greetings from, somewhere in between Syria and Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it seemed to ... Read More »
Humanitarian intervention has been a controversy in the field of international relations since the end of Cold War. The controversy mainly emerges because the principle of humanitarian intervention clashes with the principles of non-intervention and sovereignty which emerged with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Even the definition of humanitarian intervention is up for debate by scholars but the lack ... Read More »
War, as said by Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831), a Prussian general and military theorist, is ‘the continuation of politics by other means.’ This is just one of the many definitions for war. Defining a person’s definition of war often expresses the person’s broader political philosophy. This position is also important for one’s view on the origins of war. Building a ... Read More »
With a series of essential national elections that will, without any doubt, determine the path to follow for European integration in the near future, 2017 is shaping up to be a decisive year for the Union. The rise of EU-sceptic, populist parties all across the continent seems to approach its tipping point in the coming months. In a worst case ... Read More »
The referendum process has started in Turkey with the approval of the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The referendum is focused on the reform of the executive branch into a stronger, presidential style. Turkey is witnessing a historical scene in Turkish politics. Since the foundation of the modern republic in 1923, Turkey has followed the parliamentary system. After the coup attempt, ... Read More »
After failing to fulfill membership requirements such as respect for human rights, economic agreements, migration and freedom of the press, Venezuela has officially been suspended from the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). This has had an explosive effect on the already hostile rhetoric of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has rejected the decision and claimed that Venezuela will not be suspended ... Read More »
Checks&Balances Checks and Balances is the magazine of the Study Association Clio from the program "International Relations and International Organization" at the University of Groningen. Topics include international politics, ethics, conflict and development