· March, 2008

Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from March, 2008

Slovakia: Newspapers Protest Imposition of Interactivity

  31 March 2008

Information Policy links to a story in the International Herald Tribune on the protest of Slovak newspapers against the new requirement “to print responses by people or institutions to any news article even if the published information were true.”

Bulgaria: Against Internet “Bugging”

  31 March 2008

This year, the Bulgarian government has issued a decree, which, among other things, allows the security services to gather from each internet user the data about who they have written to, who is on their contact lists, what instant communication agents they are equipped with, when they used them and the precise manner of using them. The majority of internet users in Bulgaria interpreted it as an encroachment on their civil liberties. Yavor Mihaylov reports on Bulgarian bloggers' attempts to resist the government's initiative.

Belarus: Freedom Day Protest

  30 March 2008

On Tuesday, March 25, police broke up an opposition rally in the capital of Belarus, beating protesters with truncheons and detaining dozens of people. Veronica Khokhlova translates two bloggers' first-hand accounts and a foreign political analyst's view on the Belarusian opposition's strategy.

Ukraine, Poland: Tusk Visits Kyiv

  29 March 2008

Leopolis reports on Donald Tusk's visit to Ukraine: “The biggest development of the trip was the signing of a cross-border visa agreement for small-time Ukrainian traders living 50 kilometres from the border.”

Russia: A Scam

  29 March 2008

20 East writes about one of the popular scams that he became victim of during a visit to Russia three years ago.

Romania: Corruption

  29 March 2008

Public Policy Watch – Politici Publice in Moldova writes on the issue of “high-profile corruption” in Romania.

Belarus: Emanuel Zeltser's Detention

  28 March 2008

Eternal Remont links to a new blog whose aim is to draw attention to Emanuel Zeltser's case: FREE Emanuel Zeltser and Vladlena Funk – Illegally Imprisoned in Belarus Since March 12, 2008.

Latvia: Referendums

  28 March 2008

Baltic writes in depth on “a strong possibility for holding two referendums in Latvia this year.”

Russia: Dmitry Medvedev

  28 March 2008

Streetwise Professor writes about “the contrast between [Dmitry] Medvedev’s words and the ongoing acts of the government that he will soon head.”

Russia: Xenophobia in Moscow

  27 March 2008

Moscow Through Brown Eyes posts a short update on hate crime in Moscow; Window on Eurasia writes about a graffiti campaign launched by the Movement Against Illegal Immigration (DPNI) in Moscow “in order to call attention to the strength of the group and to intimidate its opponents, migrant workers and...

Russia: Myths

  26 March 2008

Da Russophile presents “the Top 10 Russophobe Myths, in opposition to La Russophobe‘s Top 10 Russophile Myths.”

About our Eastern & Central Europe coverage

Filip Stojanovski
Filip Stojanovski is the Central Europe editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.

Daria Dergacheva
Daria Dergacheva is the Eastern Europe editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.