The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. Yet in 2012, it was estimated that around 87 Christian wedding officiants continued to refuse to marry gay couples due to their religious beliefs. Even though municipalities were allowed to hire these so-called …

The objective of this dissertation is to investigate the reasons for a low political participation in Czechoslovakia in the wake of the Velvet Revolution, which started on 17 November 1989, by a literature review. The Czechoslovak citizens reacted on several developments in their surrounding countries, …

This study is intended to offer an insight into the difficulties experienced by the nation-state in its policy response to asylum and to determine whether there is a post-national solution. Processes of globalization accompanied by war and conflicts, increased migration flows of refugees, and a growing …

Silvio Berlusconi was Italy's longest serving Prime Minister since the Second World War. As Prime Minister, he exercised control over the three public television channels in Italy. The combination of a strong political figure that controls large parts of public media and has considerable business interests …

The dissertation at hand is embedded in the context of the 2014 European elections that have brought to light a strong Eurosceptic sentiment throughout Europe. It picks up on the intention to create a new Eurosceptic group in the European Parliament as brought forward by right-wing populists Geert Wilders …

As an essential basic principle of the European Union, the free movement of workers has been on everyone’s lips with the European Enlargement of Romania and Bulgaria in 2007. With the complete abolishment of the restrictions on the free movement of workers for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens in Germany …

Euroscepticism is present in almost all European countries, from Austria to France in several different forms that vary from scepticism regarding particular EU policies to opposition towards the delegation of powers to a supranational institution like the EU However, the combination of the sensationalist …

The Turkish Republic has a great history with major defeats and victories in its past. Since the fourteenth century Turkey was part of the Ottoman Empire. During the following centuries, the Empire expanded and covered areas which are nowadays known as Europe, Asia and North Africa. The twentieth century …

The South Caucasus compromises the states of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is a volatile region, distressed by ethno political conflicts which erupted after the fall of the powerful USSR. Free from Russian domination, the peoples of the South Caucasus - Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Georgians - started …

The Arctic Ocean stands at the threshold of significant changes. Climate change and the melting of ice have a potential impact on vulnerable ecosystems, the livelihoods of local inhabitants and indigenous communities, and the potential exploitation of natural resources. (Ilulissat Declaration, 2008, …