2025 Issue No. 49 / December
1. Giovanni GUGG, PhD ERASED NAMES, DIVIDED MEMORIES: TOPONYMY AS A BATTLEFIELD IN EAST GERMANY
2. Katerina KLIMOSKA, THE EUROPEAN POLITICAL COMMUNITY: REIMAGINING EUROPE AS GEOPOLITICAL The European Political Community (EPC), proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, represents an approach of reshaping the political and strategic landscape of Europe. Emphasizing the “geopolitical” in Europe, the EPC seeks to foster cooperation among European states on shared values of democracy, stability and security. This paper frames the EPC as a geopolitical construction, analysing its potential to create a more inclusive and pragmatic form of political unity in response to contemporary challenges and geopolitical shifts. The paper gives a theoretical and conceptual review of the EPC, addressing its potential to reshape Europe’s borders, identity, and geopolitical role, and evaluates its capacity to deliver tangible results in areas such as security cooperation, energy security, and humanitarian efforts. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of critical geopolitics, the paper argues that the EPC provides a model of political cooperation that transcends traditional notions of territoriality and expands Europe’s strategic influence. By examining the EPC through both practical and theoretical lenses, the paper offers insights into how it could evolve into a tangible and impactful entity in the future of European geopolitics. 3. Katarzyna JEROMINEK, PhD Student EU SANCTIONS POLICY TOWARDS BELARUS FROM 2010 TO 2020 Restrictive measures (sanctions) are an important instrument of the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), used in response to political crises and human rights violations. The EU maintains almost 40 sanctions regimes, covering a wide range of restrictive measures from targeted individual sanctions to more comprehensive sectoral measures. In the face of rising geopolitical tensions, the role of sanctions is becoming increasingly important, and they are being systematically expanded in scope and intensity and implemented with increasing dynamism. The case study of Belarus presented in this article is an illustration of the long-term, variable and cyclical nature of the EU’s sanctions policy towards this country over the past two decades, involving a wide range of applied measures. The aim of these measures has been to put pressure on the Belarusian regime to force democratic reforms and improvements in the human rights situation. The sanctions policy was not limited to their imposition, but also included their suspension and lifting, in response to both the changing political conditions inside Belarus and the wider geopolitical context. The article analyses the EU’s sanctions policy from 2010 to 2020, focusing on the factors influencing its decision-making process. Particular emphasis is placed on a comparative analysis of the two periods: 2010–2013 and 2014–2020. The article also attempts to determine the extent to which the nature of the EU sanctions policy pursued during the period under review may have influenced both the Belarusian regime’s decision to apply repression after the 2020 presidential election and the subsequent support provided to Russia in its aggression against Ukraine. 4. Oleh POSHEDIN, PhD; Yurii MELNYK, PhD THE SOVEREIGNTY OF UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF COOPERATION WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND The article examines the impact of Ukraine’s cooperation with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund on the sovereignty of Ukraine. Analysing this cooperation, the authors show how collaboration, which is interpreted by some political forces and the population as interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine, can lead to the strengthening of Ukrainian sovereignty through the restoration of financial stability and sustainable economic growth, effective governance, effective anticorruption 5. Václav ŠMEJKAL, PhD BIG PLATFORMS’ OBLIGATIONS AFTER THE ECJ’S ANDROID AUTO JUDGMENT: IN THE NAME OF COMPETITION, YOU WILL SERVE YOUR COMPETITORS! The paper is devoted to the CJEU’s decision in Android Auto (C-233/23) of February 25, 2025. In this decision, the ECJ argued for a relatively very large scope of dominant platform obligations dictated by the application of Article 102 TFEU. The analysis seeks to answer two research questions: 1. What are the limits of what a dominant online platform can be forced to do by competition law following the Android Auto decision? and 2. In particular, what does the decision mean for the as yet unsatisfactorily unresolved dispute under EU law between the independent automotive aftermarket (IAA) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) over the provision of access to connected vehicle functions and resources? Although on the one hand the obligations of dominant platforms to act at the request of and in favour of a competitor are now substantial, on the other hand the ECJ decision does not bring a breakthrough solution for the IAA. 6. Dominika Liszkowska, PhD THE REGULATORY POWER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IN RELATIONS WITH TÜRKİYE AND THE BRUSSELS EFFECT ON TURKISH REGULATION IN THE AREA OF DIGITAL POLICY AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES The European Union, due to the promotion of its own market standards and the externalization of the norms it has developed, has been referred to in the literature as a “regulatory power”, and the influence it exerts as the “Brussels effect.” One of the states that, as a result of the Europeanization process, is implementing EU solutions and is subject to the Brussels effect is Türkiye. The EU is an important regulatory entity in the field of digital markets and artificial intelligence. It can therefore be assumed 7. Gökhan AKŞEMSETTINOĞLU, PhD NATO-EU COMPLEMENTARITY THROUGH STRATEGIC CONCEPT AND THE STRATEGIC COMPASS: THE IMPACT OF THE STRATEGIC COMPASS ON EUROPEAN INTEGRATION The Russia-Ukraine war and the changing geopolitical interests of the major powers have created several new threats for Europe. At the same time, new challenges such as cyber-attacks, hybrid wars and climate change have alarmed the European states. Therefore, these developments required NATO and the EU to take measures separately and proceed by common action. In line with this need, NATO issued the Strategic Concept and the EU issued the Strategic Compass. Examining the two strategies has revealed that they are not competing but completing documents to provide European defence and security. Therefore, the first purpose of this article is to present the idea of complementarity between NATO and the EU in European security. This understanding will also serve the second purpose of the article, which is the manifestation of the impact of the Strategic Compass on European integration. In other words, complementarity will create a structural framework for strengthening the Strategic Compass and the European integration process. In this context, since the Strategic Compass has reflected a consensus of the EU member states to cooperate on defence and security issues, it is essential to know whether it has contributed to the European integration process by deepening policies on defence and security. Thus, the article concludes that, strengthened by NATO’s strategic concept in the context of complementarity, the strategic compass has become an important step in the European integration process. 8. Ferit BAÇA, PhD; Majlinda KETA, PhD; DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS: PREREQUISITES FOR THE INTEGRATION OF ALBANIA INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION The Europeanization of Albanian society is the process through which Albania aligns its cultural, economic, and political systems with those of the European Union to promote respect for freedoms and human rights. These strategic objectives can be best achieved by enhancing pluralistic democracy, state institutions, and the educational system attended by young people. Given that the democratic quality of any society is determined by the conduct of free and fair elections, it is vital to educate the youth about democratic principles and norms. Therefore, Albania’s journey towards European integration should not be interpreted as a “melting” and loss of national identity but rather as a fusion of universal political, economic, and military values and interests in support and enhancement of democracy. To enrich the tapestry of European culture, young Albanians should be well-versed in the material and spiritual customs inherited by our people. The study aims at recognizing and implementing freedoms and human rights 9. Kristine Kuprava, PhD student POWERS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO CHECK THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS An essential prerequisite for the effective exercise of the right to a fair trial is a complete understanding of the matters falling within the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court of Georgia. In this regard, it is important to have a legal analysis of whether a judicial body of the Georgian Constitutional Review is equipped with the authority to verify the constitutionality of constitutional amendments. Accordingly, the article is dedicated to the complex and comparative analysis of the theoretical and practical problems arising to decide on the issue of admission for the consideration of constitutional claims substantially, particularly whether the constitutionality of constitutional amendment belongs to the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court of Georgia. The article will also discuss specific recommendations for the improvement of legislation in this field and the establishment of unified judicial practices. 10. Levan Ghavtadze, PhD student CONTROL OF THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF EARLY TERMINATION OF THE POWERS OF A MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENT The institution of early termination of the powers of a Member of Parliament includes some aspects that on the one hand, protect democracy (not to carry out parliamentary activities by the members of the Parliament who threaten the effective function/authority of the Parliament), and on the other hand, the will of the people should not be arbitrarily overcome by applying the mechanism of early termination of the powers. This article examines the institute for early termination of the powers of a Member of Parliament. It emphasizes the concept of “self-defence democracy”. Taking into account the political and legal nature of the decision of the Parliament, the determination of the role of the Constitutional Court in assessing the constitutionality of the issue is of great importance in exercising the right to a fair trial. Discussing individual issues, the article will focus on international practice as well.
cognitive, social, and symbolic tools that shape human understanding of the world.
policies, the creation of a solid and independent judiciary, reforming state-owned enterprises. It is concluded that if Ukraine successfully fulfils the requirements for the provision of financial assistance provided by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, this helps strengthen the state sovereignty of the country. It is noted that the conditionality of financial assistance by implementing relevant reforms in Ukraine gives positive results. At the same time, these changes are only the beginning, and the final results will depend solely on Ukraine’s willingness to follow a particular course of reforms in the future.
that this area also concerns the convergence of the policies and laws of the European Union and Türkiye. The purpose of this article is to answer the following question: Are the solutions undertaken in the field of digital markets and new technologies in Türkiye the result of the Brussels effect and the EU’s regulatory power? In order to answer the above question, the article first clarifies the definition of the EU’s regulatory power and presents the framework of this concept. Then, during the research process, an analysis
of three issues in the sphere of the digital market and new technologies and the impact of EU regulations on Turkish law was carried out. The spheres selected for analysis are: personal data protection, digital markets, and artificial intelligence.
as prerequisites for Albania’s integration into European Union structures. It synthesizes the links between democracy and respect for human rights in relation to improving citizens’ living conditions and implementing democratic reforms and values. At the core of its analysis are the challenges facing Albanian democracy, such as citizens’ emigration, their participation in electoral processes, and political elites’ role in social life. The study examines efforts to provide deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities for strengthening democracy and improving Albania’s political structures in its integration processes toward the EU.