Stories about Governance from January, 2008
Ukraine: Minimum Wage vs MPs’ Income
Ukrainiana compares Ukraine's nationwide minimum wage with MPs’ official salaries.
Serbia, Slovenia: Kosovo Independence
Dr. Filomena writes on Kosovo's independence and explains why she thinks Slovenia should not be the first to recognize it: “If for no other reason, then for the sake of our investments in Serbia.”
Russia: German Sadulayev's Appeal
Window on Eurasia writes about a Chechen writer's appeal to his fellow countrymen.
Estonia: Fewer Stateless People
Itching for Eestimaa reports that the number of Estonia's stateless persons continues to decrease.
Czech Republic, Serbia: Embassy Corruption
The Czech Daily Word writes on the corruption scandal at the Czech Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia.
Czech Republic: Presidential Debate
Dr. Sean's Diary comments on the Czech presidential debate between incumbent Václav Klaus and challenger Jan Švejnar.
Serbia: Kostunica's Choice
A Fistful of Euros explains why PM Kostunica's refusal to endorse either of the candidates is good for Nikolic and bad for Tadic.
Mozambique: More on the strange mass kidnapping
Moçambique para Todos [pt] picks up on Ivone Soares’ piece of news yesterday that a mass kidnapping had happened in Mocímboa da Praia.”It is all very odd and almost like a movie! Will the media report on the press conference? I have read about 10 newspapers today (January 30th) and...
Ukraine: Affordable Housing
Ukrainiana writes on what looks like a competition between Ukraine's PM and president in promising a better mortgage deal to the electorate.
Albania: President Bamir Topi
A Fistful of Euros writes about Albania's president and some of his policies.
Russia: Khodorkovsky on Hunger Strike
Robert Amsterdam posts updates on Mikhail Khodorkovsky's hunger strike in protest against the treatment of jailed former Yukos executive Vasily Alexanyan – here and here.
Russia: No Future for “Nashi”?
Robert Amsterdam and Vilhelm Konnander write about what looks like the end of pro-Putin youth movement Nashi.
Russia: Internet Regulations
Perspectives on the new Russia writes about the Russian government's plans to regulate the internet.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: New Blogs by Public Figures
A few interesting blogs have emerged in the Bosnian blogosphere recently, showing the growing interest in blogging and Web 2.0 in the Balkans. Elia Varela Serra introduces the newcomers: a president, an ambassador, and a travelguide writer.
China: Hu Jia's family become human “state secrets”
And likely very skinny ones at this point, having been locked away from journalists and lawyers and bringers of milk formula for over a month now. Since AIDS activist-turned house arrested blogger Hu Jia's arrest, he's been described as a one-man human rights organization, that bloggers like him are the...
Armenia: Russian Masters
After a visiting Russian official effectively endorsed the candidacy of the prime minister ahead of next month's presidential election in Armenia, Nazarian asks if it isn't time Armenians started to think for themselves.
Citizen Uganda: Smart and very, very pretty
Citizen Uganda is the best new online source of information about Uganda, and it's also very, very pretty. To scroll down the main page of Citizen Uganda is to indulge in a visual symphony: carefully selected photos align harmoniously with well-crafted blocks of text. Thick lines in complementary colors separate commentary from current events.
Louis Michel Heckled by Congolese Protestors at the London School of Economics
Le renouveau congolais posts a YouTube video which shows Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid and formerly Belgian's foreign minister, as he was confronted by Congolese protesters during a talk given earlier this month on the EU and Africa at the London School of Economics. Read the reactions from Congolese netizens and a video response that will make you move your feet.
Lebanon: Deconstructing Hassan Nasrallah
Heuristiques Libanaises muses over an image [Fr] of Hassan Nasrallah‘s raised finger and furrowed expression, wondering if Lebanon is at the sunset of Hezbollah's “divine victory” or merely its dawn.
Community Policing in Burkina Faso
QuophyBlogeur writes about community policing in Burkina Faso, an innovative and promising concept which has thus far proven less than stellar in practice.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Against Division
Balkanizer comes up with “an argument against the division of Bosnia-Herzegovina.”
