Putting Some Bite into the European Union Eastern Partnership....

It might surprise a number of readers that in addition to concerns on the health of the Euro and the European Union (EU) there is an ongoing undercurrent of how the EU and Russia are interacting in the former East Bloc and Soviet republics.

Following WWII the Soviet Union essentially created a buffer zone consisting of former nations which were allowed to maintain an external semblance of independence such as Poland and those countries which were physically absorbed into the USSR such as the Baltics, Belarus, Moldavia, the Ukraine, Georgia and the various republics in the Caucasus.

Given the recent preoccupation with the Euro and the EU in general there has been a lot of talk with very little action on the "West's" part while Russia continues to re-establish its control in these countries.

Russia has taken advantage of its economic weight and the ambivalence surrounding the role of NATO to actively pursue pro-Russian policies in the former Soviet space. It has played both sides of the "good cop/bad cop" role in trying to influence the ongoing discussion as to the efficacy of NATO in its current format/membership as well as the burning question of allowing former Soviet Republics such as the Ukraine, Moldavia and Georgia to join or not.

Part of the European response has been the creation of the relatively toothless tiger known as the European Union Eastern Partnership (EUEP). Its major support has come from Poland-a nation that is very concerned with Russia's activities on its borders and dreams of former Polish glory and Sweden, a nation also reflecting on past grandeur, that last graced the European stage in the 18th century culminating in a string of wars against Russia, each one more disastrous than the last.

Now suddenly albeit subtly, Germany, which has its own share of East European history, has entered the fray flexing its muscles. Generally the Germans have been somewhat accommodating to the Russians working closer with them then many of the other members of the EU would like. But German interest in the region is potentially a significant boost to the EUEP.

Germany is a financial powerhouse and has been the conduit through which much of Russia's actions both economically-pipelines and energy transit agreements- as well as politically have been co-ordinated.

It was therefore somewhat surprising that Werner Hoyer, German Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry spent yesterday in Moldavia meeting with the Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iurie Leanca.

Moldavia is in the throes of forming a ruling coalition following contentious parliamentary elections in November. The EUEP under Poland and Sweden have been pushing for a pro-EU party while Russia is working to install a pro-Russian government.

Now the Germans have apparently thrown their considerable weight into the pro-EU camp. This is significant as it pits Germany against Russia and will prove to be an interesting case in determining who has more power in influencing the affairs of those states in the border regions of Europe and Russia.