Suchergebnisse

How government of East Timor by Indonesia was finally brought to an end through the Aug. 1999 referendum in favor of independence; indicates that Indonesia's agreement to the referendum was in part due to influence exerted by Portugal as a member of the European Union. Included in a collection of articles under the cover title "As Nações Unidas, a Indonésia e Timor-Leste". Summaries in English and French p. 250 and 252.

The elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council had a foreseeable result, but one that was a bucket of cold water for Israel & for the international community. The election of Hamas generated a predicament, difficult to surpass. The President of the Palestinian Authority then threw a challenge to the Hamas government: the calling of a referendum on the creation of the Palestinian State, should Hamas not accept to the establishment of political negotiations between the Government & the Presidency. However, in the meantime, the abduction of an Israeli soldier brought radical change to Israel-Palestinian setting. Further abduction of two other Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, resulted in Israel deploying military operations in Gaza & in Southern Lebanon. Adapted from the source document.

The article argues that the causes behind the shortcomings & weaknesses of the democratic institutions of any EU member, including those of Portugal, will not be ameliorated by the approval & adoption of the European Constitution. European integration, much like globalization, is not a passing or one-time phenomenon, but a long-range evolutionary process, as is the further development & refinement of democratic institutions. European integration, along with democratic reforms, will continue with or without the ratification of the Constitution. The article compares & contrasts sections of the Portuguese Constitution & proposed European Constitution, the Portuguese Parliament & the proposed European Parliament, as well as the Portuguese executive & the proposed European executive. R. Young

Analyzes the May 1999 agreements between Portugal and Indonesia giving autonomy to East Timor within Indonesia and legal implications of the Aug. 1999 East Timorese referendum choosing independence and transfer of authority to the UN. Summary in English p. 251-2.

Reached at the Euromediterranean high level summit held in Barcelona in November 2005, marking the tenth anniversary of the EMP, the main EU initiative structuring relations with the Maghreb & Mashreq in the Mediterranean has been widely viewed as a failure. Tensions between partners were apparent, & only modest success was achieved on a limited number of issues. This article considers the implications of the summit for democracy promotion in the southern Mediterranean. It argues that recent developments in the Arab world have fundamentally altered the context within which the EMP was created. Second, it is argued that while policy has been marked by "securitised" approaches in the wake of 9/11, the summit also took place amidst increased efforts to promote democracy. Finally, in the light of such developments, the article suggests that EU approaches to democracy promotion may prove to be more resilient than expected. Adapted from the source document.

Deadlock or crisis: that is the question that the Europeans are asking in the aftermath of the referenda in France & the Netherlands & in the absence of a decision on the European Union pluriannual budget. It is simple to answer their question: there is a deadlock on the budget, a pause in the constitutional process & overall a confidence crisis on the finality of the European project. Adapted from the source document.

Since the 1970's, with the European Communities first enlargement & the accession of Denmark, Ireland & the United Kingdom, two visions of Europe have dominated the debate on the European project: on the one hand, the "French vision" of a European state that should become an international pole of power & where the nations would submit to central collective government; on the other, the "English vision" of a Europe with economic, trade & financial power, a pole of stability the security of which should be embedded in the transatlantic alliance. In the past there was no real participation in the process of European integration but this "sleepwalking" has come to an end with the choice of the referenda as the method for the ratification of the Constitutional Treaty. Adapted from the source document.

Examines the killings and forced population displacement caused by paramilitary groups as part of an Indonesian government campaign to undermine the transition to independence, UN response, and prospects for independence; East Timor. Summary in English p. 252.

A VENEZUELA da época democrática, que se inicia em 1958, tem na emergência política de Hugo Chávez seu marco divisor do cenário político: pode-se, desta forma, apontar uma Venezuela democrática pré e pós-Chávez. Este ensaio analisa, pois, os fatores da mudança político-institucional venezuelana em quatro momentos: durante o auge e a queda do Pacto de Punto Fijo; o início do fenômeno chavista e suas características; a polarização social e política na Venezuela de Chávez; e, por fim, a Venezuela pós-referendo presidencial. ; THE DEMOCRATIC era in Venezuela dates from 1958. With the Hugo Chávez Administration, the nation is experiencing a true breach in its national political scene. Therefore it now becomes possible to identify a democratic Venezuela pre- and post-Chavez. This article tries to analyze the variables for political and institutional change in Venezuela in four specific moments: first, during the rise and fall of the Punto Fijo Pact; second, the building-up of the chavista phenomenon; third, the social and political polarization in Venezuela during Chavez Administration; and finally, Venezuela after the presidential referendum.