Annie Verderosa

Ms. Verderosa has worked and traveled throughout Europe and Russia. A graduate of Stanford University, she earned a masters degree in international relations from a consortium of German universities in 2007. While there, she focused on European and East European affairsand authored two working papers on post-communist regime dynamics. Prior to graduate school, Annie worked in international governmentrelations in Washington DC, where her work focused particularly on the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe. Before that, she wasan International Parliamentary Fellow at the German Federal Parliament in Berlin. Her previous experience also includes research and projectwork on transatlantic relations, NATO and defense cooperation, and immigration and integration policy for the German Council on ForeignRelations, Aspen Institute Berlin, and Heinrich Boell Foundation. Ms. Verderosa has also spent time in Budapest as the associate editor of anOpen Society Institute policy journal. She is currently a Business Development Associate at U.K. Trade & Investment in New York.

Articles

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Protecting Europe’s Indigenous, Regional and Minority Languages

A patchwork of languages makes up modern Europe and Russia. The region’s linguistic diversity includes numerically small, indigenous language communities, robust regional and minority languages, languages brought to Europe and spoken by its immigrants, and major world languages that are spoken far beyond Europe’s borders. The Council of Europe, an international organization of 47 members including Russia, estimates that there are approximately 225 languages indigenous to Europe. Among Council of Europe member states, there are approximately 40 national languages, with many others afforded regional or privileged status.

November 1, 2009
Annie Verderosa
Indigenous Rights - November 2009

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Interview with Stefan Aust: Author of Baader-Meinhof: The Inside Story of the R.A.F.

The Red Army Faction (RAF), also known as the Baader-Mainhof Gang, was postwar Germany’s most violent left-wing terrorist group. Most active in the 1970s, the group has been held responsible for 34 deaths over its nearly 30 years of activity (ca. 1968-1998). German journalist Stefan Aust is author of “Baader-Meinhof: The Inside Story of the R.A.F.,” an authoritative book on the subject. The film “The Baader Meinhof Complex” (Germany, 2008), based on his book, opens in US theaters August 21. Foreign Policy Digest sat down with journalist Stefan Aust to discuss the film, its complex subject matter, and the political landscape of Germany today.

August 18, 2009
Annie Verderosa
War and Peace - August 2009

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(Still) Separate and Unequal: Roma Education in Central and Southeast Europe

The Roma are one of Europe’s largest, least known, and most disadvantaged ethnic minorities. Numbering approximately 10 million, the Roma—also commonly referred to as Gypsies—are scattered across the continent, with especially large concentrations in Central and Southeastern Europe. Poor and lacking access to quality education, many Roma live at the margins of society. In 2005, nine Central and Southeastern European governments launched the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015, a set of programs and funding initiatives aimed to address disparities between Roma and non-Roma in the areas of education, employment, housing, and health. Equal access to educational opportunities is a cornerstone of efforts to combat poverty among European Roma and to ensure their full and equal participation in society.

May 1, 2009
Annie Verderosa
Education - May 2009

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Western Europe and Its Muslim Minority: An Unbreakable Cycle of Alienation and Mistrust?

The majority of Western Europe today is a secular, nominally Christian society. In recent years, however, the growth of Islam as a minority religion has introduced significant changes to Western European culture and society. As a result of immigration and demographics, Europe’s Muslim population has tripled over the last thirty years and is predicted to continue growing at a similar rate over the coming decades. It is estimated that there are currently between fifteen and twenty million Muslims living in the European Union, representing 4-5% of its total population.

April 24, 2009
Annie Verderosa
Religion - April 2009

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Rebuilding Alliances and Managing Expectations in a Post-Bush World

The next U.S. President will inherit a complex and dangerous set of foreign policy challenges: wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a global financial crisis, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, instability in Pakistan, and competition from emerging powers like China, India, and a resurgent Russia. In its special coverage of the U.S. presidential election, The Economist describes the foreign policy environment as “the most difficult international situation since 1968.” Moreover, the next President will have to manage these issues at a time when America's economic power is in decline, its military resources are overstretched, and its ability to win sympathy or support from allies has been severely diminished. The American public is also likely to be preoccupied with the economic crisis and related troubles at home, making it even more difficult for the next President to pursue an internationalist agenda.

October 29, 2008
Annie Verderosa
Election 2008 - October 2008

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What's Next for Europe?

Voters in Ireland rejected the Lisbon Treaty on June 12th, leaving a question mark hanging over the European Union’s latest attempt to reform its increasingly unwieldy bureaucracy. In recent years, the European Union (EU) has grown from fifteen to twenty-seven members, and efforts have been underway for some time to streamline its institutions and decision-making processes. The Lisbon Treaty is a compromise treaty that was drawn up after the draft EU constitution was defeated by referendums in France and the Netherlands in 2005. Among the key changes are several proposals designed to make the EU a stronger and more coherent actor in international affairs.

July 25, 2008
Annie Verderosa
Radical Transformations - July 2008

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Post-Communist Democracy

In early November, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili broke up opposition demonstrations with riot police and tear gas, shut down independent television stations, and declared a state of emergency that lasted nine days. When pressed on the issue, he blamed Russian meddling for the unrest. Under international pressure, President Saakashvili ceded to calls for early elections and scheduled them for January 2008...

December 11, 2007
Annie Verderosa
Militarization - December 2007