· July, 2013

Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from July, 2013

Can Pirates Save the Russian Internet?

RuNet Echo  29 July 2013

Judging from attendance at recent demonstrations, Russian supporters of internet freedom have their work cut out for them if they want to move their cause from online to offline.

Laughing at Putin's Pike

RuNet Echo  29 July 2013

Vladimir Putin's presidential photo-ops, which grow more absurd with each passing year. In his latest publicity stunt, Putin joined Prime Minister and Defense Minister on a fishing trip in Krasnoyarsk.

Ethnic Slurs Haunt Alexey Navalny

RuNet Echo  25 July 2013

Alexey Navalny came under harsh criticism from Russian opposition movement colleagues just days after he was released from Kirov jail, and as soon as it became clear that he would continue to run for mayor of Moscow throughout the appeals process for his 5-year long prison sentence.

Poland Bans Ritual Slaughter of Animals

  21 July 2013

Online magazine Commentary and many others have been discussing the decision of the Polish government to ban ritual slaughter of animals, in accordance to humane slaughter practices, which many EU countries have recently been leaning towards. For Poland however, this decision is a controversial one, in light of its history...

Tragedy Ignites Online Friendship Between Romanians and Montenegrins

  13 July 2013

In one of the most tragic road accidents ever seen in Montenegro, 18 Romanian nationals lost their lives and 29 were injured on June 23, 2013 when a Romanian bus full of tourists ran off a bridge into a ravine. News of the accident soon spread and, due to the generosity of the Montenegro people toward the victims and families, so did an outpouring of messages of gratitude, empathy, solidarity and adoration on social networks from both countries.

Fear and Censorship in Russia's Huffington Post

RuNet Echo  10 July 2013

PublicPost, an internet news publication that for a time sought to become the Russian Huffington Post, met its end last month, when it became the latest in a series of innovative online media to be shut down this year.

Serbia Rises to Save 600-Year-Old Oak Tree

  10 July 2013

As a plan to remove Istanbul's Gezi park sparked a mass uprising in Turkey in recent weeks, the people of Serbia were faced with a similar fight. A planned highway was set to destroy a 600-year-old oak tree in central Serbia, but after days of protests, the government seems to...

Bulgarian Protesters March Kilometers to Challenge Government

  9 July 2013

On Sunday, July 7, the number of protesters in the streets of the Bulgarian capital was unprecedented, as tens of thousands of citizens marched in the streets, again demanding the resignation of the current regime. But after 27 days of anti-government protests in Bulgaria, the leadership of this Eastern European country has so far made no changes.

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.