Europe

Amid popular protests demanding his resignation, will Belarusian President Lukashenko continue to balance relations with both Russia and NATO, or will economic and political realities force him to finally choose a side?

After a surprisingly poor showing in Montenegro’s recent parliamentary elections, the ruling pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists could lose control of the government for the first time in three decades. A potential coalition led by the opposition Democratic Front party would seek closer ties with Russia and Serbia, undermining the geopolitical stability of the region.

Twenty-five years after its devastating war, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains deeply divided by religion and ethnicity. Young Bosnians, however, are more likely to cross divides. Membership in NATO and the European Union would buttress their efforts.

The current state of Hungary’s free press is tremulously withering. Recently, 70 journalists from the independent Index online news service resigned in protest because their objective reporting was becoming imperiled. Sadly, such cases are not new in Hungary.

Recent protests in Bulgaria have unveiled the country's long-standing problems with corruption and the rule of law, in the latest example of the EU's issue of anti-democratic regimes among its member states. If the bloc does not take action to address these concerns, its legitimacy could be compromised.

Putin’s Russia is exploiting the flaws of American democracy. To do so, Russia is forging key inroads with developing countries.