One of the key values on which the European Union is based is the rule of law that also includes efficient mechanisms for counteracting and combating corruption. What is more, it is a key condition for countries aspiring to membership in the European Union. An example here comes from Albania’s accession aspirations. Their progress is determined by the dynamic changes in the transformation processes of this country, including progress in counteracting and eliminating corruption in the political and economic space. Explanation of the specific characteristics of Albanian reality and the exegesis of the impact of corruption on the process of the country’s closer EU cooperation are the aims of the research taken up here. Special focus will be given to electoral corruption in local government elections that took place on 14 May 2023. At the same time, these elections are only a background to a broader discussion on the essence of corruption in the Albanian reality as a factor that determines its accession process.

Peculiarities of the EU’s heritage diplomacy

This article aims to fill the gaps in the discourse on heritage diplomacy, especially concerning the EU’s efforts on heritage. Heritage diplomacy is a new term, the discussions about a more precise theorization of which are still ongoing. Thus, of particular interest was the question of the functions and defining features of the heritage diplomacy of the European Union in terms of its internal (“domestic”) and external (“foreign”) dimensions. Considering this research question, the article focuses on defining the main functions and features of the European Union’s heritage diplomacy activities through their heritage-specific projects and initiatives, especially given the intensification of the EU’s heritage activities in recent years. To do this, firstly, the concept of heritage diplomacy was analyzed and the role and place of heritage and heritage diplomacy in the EU policy was indicated. This article defines heritage diplomacy as the process of instrumentalising the tangible and intangible past (heritage) and the narratives around them to promote (geo-)culture and/or intercultural relations. Then, a careful analysis of the EU’s initiatives and projects on heritage (European Heritage Label, European Capitals of Culture, European heritage awards, UNESCO-EU joint projects, etc.) was done, through which many functions of EU’s heritage diplomacy were pointed out and categorized within the internal (“domestic”) and external (“foreign”) dimensions. Among the functions were defined the following: integration, creation and strengthening of European identity through making a European narrative, ‘Europeanisation’, cooperation, raising awareness of other issues (such as about the practices of sustainability), conservation, culture preservation, involvement of non-European cultures in the cultural dialogue (heritage as a platform), peacekeeping, etc. Although the two ought to be distinct, a blurring between the two dimensions was pointed out, resulting in the notion of the heritage diplomacy of the European Union as being mostly done on the level of the European Continent.

The fight against disinformation in the European Union, using the example of the war in Ukraine

Disinformation, meaning false information disseminated to mislead or deceive the audience, is gaining prominence in social and political life. This article aims to analyze the Russian disinformation narrative regarding the war in Ukraine and to present the European Union’s response to this false narrative. The study was carried out based on literature on the subject, source documents, and content posted on the EUdisinfo.eu. The analysis shows how dangerous the Russian disinformation narrative is for international relations and how important it is to constantly analyze content published on the Internet and expose irregularities.

Summer 2024 – the background and course of the Polish-Ukrainian crisis

Polish-Ukrainian relations have a long history, and the official interstate ones since 1991, the independence of Ukraine. Most of the time they were orders, particularly during Petro Proshenka’s presidency, when the tone was set by Bandera nationalists, while the Law and Justice Party (PiS) was in power. The main bone of contention was the different treatment of each other’s history. After the onslaught of the Russian Federation and the start of a full-scale war with Ukraine, Poland took in a huge number of Ukrainian refugees, made available huge support in armaments and in the political area. It was estimated that this lasted until the autumn of 2022, i.e., the so-called case of the explosion of the rocket in Przewodovo and the strenuous telling of President Zelensky, contrary to the findings of US intelligence, that it was an accidental Ukrainian rocket. In the summer of 2023, the “grain crisis” and the accompanying “transportation crisis” erupted. In the fall of the aforementioned year, during a session of the UN General Assembly, Zelenski canceled an agreed-upon meeting with President Duda and sharply attacked Poland in that international forum and practiced destruction in talks with leaders of leading countries. He was counting on Donald Tusk’s team to take power. The latest event deepening the crisis was the atypical statement in Poland by Minister Dmytro Kuleba and the continuation of the growing crisis. The chance of overcoming it is slim.