Putin and Erdogan: A new year and new challenges in the EU neighbourhood

For decades, the European Union symbolised “liberal democracy” as a political project, one that would be disseminated through its enlargement and neighborhood policies.

In 2014, the EU discovered two major hurdles in its near abroad.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s assertiveness put a spanner in the works of the EU’s “Eastern Partnership”.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly signaled that he doesn’t worry much about liberal democratic values – least of all w...