Eastern Partnership

Germany is one of Ukraine's most important trading partners. However, the nucleus of the need for reforms is still the corruption in the country. The investment climate must be sustainably improved in order to expand cooperation. But Germany can also learn from Ukraine.

The local elections in autumn 2020 represented a milestone in Ukraine's reform process. The breakfast discussion focused on trends and peculiarities of the electoral process, the strategies of the individual parties and the influence of COVID-19.

The IEP funded the research projects of three Ukrainian think tanks. The ideas to study access to universities from occupied territories, the integrity of local elections and a sustainable approach to the Ukrainian economy prevailed.

The debate had mainly focused on how to create stable investment conditions in the long term despite the unresolved conflict in eastern Ukraine. The guests emphasised the importance of judicial reform and the dissemination of success stories.

The directors of the think tanks involved in the project met for coaching and feedback regarding the cooperation. Furthermore, possible future ideas within the framework of the Eastern Partnership were discussed.

EU support to Moldova and the relevance of the EU rapprochement process were the topics of the final conference of the WE&EU project. In addition, videos with success stories of EU support to local projects were shown.

After one year of President Zelensky's term in office, we take stock and talk about the future priorities of the German-Ukrainian partnership. The occasion is the publication of a policy paper resulting from a cooperation between the IEP and the New Europe Center.

What reform policies is the new Moldovan government pursuing? What is the thematic focus? Are relations with Russia or the EU being strengthened? Experts from Moldova discussed these and other questions on the assessment of the situation in the shadow of the pandemic.

Experts classified and discussed the progressive ideas and related challenges of the new Ukrainian government. The opportunities and risks of the liberal reform agenda were contrasted with oligarchic interests in terms of democratization.