· March, 2009

Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from March, 2009

Russia: Igor Sechin in WSJ

  31 March 2009

Streetwise Professor and Robert Amsterdam's Blog comment on a WSJ piece based on an interview with Russia's deputy prime minister Igor Sechin.

Russia: The Durnovo Memorandum

  31 March 2009

A Fistful of Euros writes about a document known as the Durnovo Memorandum: “What’s striking about the memo is how, six months before World War One started, [Pyotr Durnovo] absolutely nails it. Nature, conduct, likely outcomes — he’s eerily, astonishingly correct about all of them.

Macedonia: Student Protest Ends in Violence

  31 March 2009

Recently, the Macedonian government decided to build an Orthodox church with public financing on the main square of Skopje, a decision that the citizens of the city disapproved of. On March 28, a peaceful protest against the construction of the church turned violent when a group of counter-protesters attempted to prevent it. Elena Ignatova reviews the reactions in the Macedonian blogosphere.

Ukraine: Relations With Russia and Romania

  31 March 2009

Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop writes: “While Russian strategists declare Ukraine “a failed state” on the verge of losing its sovereignty, some Romanian officials and media are suggesting that only part of Ukraine, with its capital in Lviv, can ever come under the alliance’s euroatlantic umbrella.”

Estonia: Lennart and Arnold Meri

  31 March 2009

Itching for Eestimaa writes: “One Meri cousin, Lennart, just had an airport named after him to coincide with the annual foreign policy conference that bears his name. […] The other Meri cousin, Arnold, spent his twilight years on trial for the deportation of the men, women, and children of Hiiumaa...

Water: One Take International Video Contest

  30 March 2009

“Is access to clean, safe water for drinking a basic human right? Why? or Why not?”. That is the question One Take is asking for you to answer in your own language, recording it on a video no more than 2 minutes long, uploading it on their site and on DotSub and having it subtitled in at least 1 other language. Just this month, world leaders met in Istambul, Turkey at the World Water Forum to have this discussion, and although they aren't sure what the result will be, it is our chance to show what we believe about this issue, and make our voices heard.

Russia: The Oligarchs’ “Debt-Go-Round”

  28 March 2009

Copydude writes that Russia's “debt-go-round has become so huge and interwoven that it seems to be taking all the oligarchs down together”: “For the most part though, it’s looking like the end of era – and a very short list of Russians on Forbes next year.”

Hungary: Avoiding an Early Election?

  28 March 2009

Hungary Economy Watch writes that “Gyurcsány plans to use the constructive vote of no-confidence to install another Socialist-led cabinet, and his government […] appears to have resorted to this unusual maneuver for one simple reason: to avoid an early election.”

Albania: Snow

  28 March 2009

A Nevada Yankee in King Zog's Court writes about Albania's high mountain villages isolated by snow.

Germany: Berlin Wall Murals Destroyed

  28 March 2009

IZO writes about “an act of extraordinary cultural vandalism”: “a section of the Berlin Wall that had been preserved with its post-fall graffiti, including the iconic painting by Dmitri Vrubel depicting a kiss between communist leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Eric Honecker, has been “restored”, meaning the complete destruction of the...

Russia: “Cut-and-Paste” Journalism

  28 March 2009

Eagle and the Bear writes about “cut-and-paste” TV journalism in Russia: “Over the course of dinner tonight, no less than two stories on the Vesti television news came directly from a separate print source. Meaning they literally filmed the two print articles — one a Rossiiskaya Gazeta article about handling...

Poland: Justice System

  28 March 2009

Eternal Remont writes that, according to a study, “only 37 percent of Poles rate their justice system positively.”

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.