Vladimir Socor
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Socor is a political analyst
of East European affairs for the Jamestown Foundation and its Eurasia Daily Monitor, currently residing in Munich
, Germany
. Socor's main specialization focuses on the political affairs and the ethnic conflicts of the former Soviet republics and the CIS
.
He is the son of Matei Socor, who, as head of the Romanian Agerpres news agency, was involved in the communist regime
's propaganda
apparatus, according to the findings of the Tismăneanu Commission
.
Vladimir Socor graduated from the Russian
School in Bucharest, received a B.A.
in History
from the University of Bucharest
, and an M.Phil.
in East European History from Columbia University
in 1977.
He worked as an analyst for the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Research Institute in Munich (1983–1994) and at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, D.C.
(1995–2002). Between 2002 and 2004, Socor worked as a senior fellow at the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies
in Washington, D.C. Since 2000, he has contributed articles to the European edition of The Wall Street Journal
.
Socor is also critical of Russia
n president Vladimir Putin
's policies regarding the Post-Soviet space and their frozen conflictsmost notably in the separatist enclaves of Transnistria
, Abkhazia
and South Ossetia
. The Economist
journalist Edward Lucas
describes Socor as "a hawkish pro-Moldovan."
Vladimir Socor was involved in the polemics with the former head of the OSCE mission in Moldova
, William Hill, during which Socor criticized OSCE policies in regards to Moldova, and in return was accused by Hill of fallacies and outrageous fabrications.
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
of East European affairs for the Jamestown Foundation and its Eurasia Daily Monitor, currently residing in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Socor's main specialization focuses on the political affairs and the ethnic conflicts of the former Soviet republics and the CIS
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
.
He is the son of Matei Socor, who, as head of the Romanian Agerpres news agency, was involved in the communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
's propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
apparatus, according to the findings of the Tismăneanu Commission
Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania
The Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania , also known as the Tismăneanu Commission , is a commission instituted in Romania by President Traian Băsescu to investigate the Communist regime and provide a comprehensive report allowing for the condemnation of...
.
Vladimir Socor graduated from the Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
School in Bucharest, received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from the University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
, and an M.Phil.
Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy is a postgraduate research degree.An M.Phil. is a lesser degree than a Doctor of Philosophy , but in many cases it is considered to be a more senior degree than a taught Master's degree, as it is often a thesis-only degree. In some instances, an M.Phil...
in East European History from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1977.
He worked as an analyst for the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
Research Institute in Munich (1983–1994) and at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(1995–2002). Between 2002 and 2004, Socor worked as a senior fellow at the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies
Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies
The Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies is an Israel-based think tank with an affiliated office in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1984 by its president, Professor Robert Loewenberg...
in Washington, D.C. Since 2000, he has contributed articles to the European edition of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
.
Socor is also critical of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
's policies regarding the Post-Soviet space and their frozen conflictsmost notably in the separatist enclaves of Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
, Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
and South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
. The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
journalist Edward Lucas
Edward Lucas (journalist)
Edward Lucas is a British journalist.Lucas is International Editor of The Economist, the London-based global newsweekly and also oversees the paper’s political coverage of Central and Eastern Europe. He has been covering eastern Europe since 1986, and was the Moscow bureau chief from 1998-2002,...
describes Socor as "a hawkish pro-Moldovan."
Vladimir Socor was involved in the polemics with the former head of the OSCE mission in Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, William Hill, during which Socor criticized OSCE policies in regards to Moldova, and in return was accused by Hill of fallacies and outrageous fabrications.
Selected reports
- The Danube-Black Sea Canal: A Graveyard Revisited, on Radio Free EuropeRadio Free EuropeRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
, August 31, 1984 - "The Workers' Protest in BraşovBrasov RebellionThe 1987 Rebellion of Braşov was a revolt against Nicolae Ceauşescu's economic policies in Communist Romania.- Prelude :Beginning in late 1986, the seeds of the Romanian Revolution of 1989 were sown, as workers throughout this Soviet Bloc country mobilized in protest of communist leader Nicolae...
: Assessment and Aftermath", Romania Background Report 231, Radio Free Europe Research, 4 December 1987, pp. 3–10. - Kremlin Refining Policy in 'Post-Soviet Space', Eurasia Daily Monitor, February 8, 2005
- Russian organizations in Transnistria campaign for a second Kaliningrad, Eurasia Daily Monitor, August 11, 2006
- Kyiv changing ideas, mixing signals on Odessa-Brody oil pipeline, Eurasia Daily Monitor November 16, 2006
- Trans-Black Sea pipeline can bring Caspian gas to Europe, Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume 3, Number 226, December 7, 2006
External links
- Vlad's Corner, Wall Street Journal Europe Columns, at Eurasia Daily Monitor
- Articles by Vladimir Socor, at Eurasia Daily Monitor
- Vladimir Socor, at Jamestown Foundation
- Vladimir Socor, at Moldova Foundation