Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from March, 2012
Russia: “Anatomy of a Protest” Film Causes “NTV Lies” Scandal
On Sunday, March 18, there were old TV sets, a mock coffin, and plenty of flowers and cookies outside the Ostankino TV tower in Moscow, where a few hundred protesters gathered for a mock funeral of the "truthful television."
Slovakia: Corruption, Parliamentary Elections, and SMER's Comeback
The March 10 victory in the Slovak parliamentary elections is not the first one for the SMER-Social Democracy party. Formerly a communist, now a social democrat, the party's leader Robert Fico has won for the third time in a row already. Tibor Blazko provides background on this year's vote and reviews some of the online reactions.
Belarus: The 2011 Minsk Metro Explosion – A ‘Hall of Mirrors’
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Vladislav Kovalev and Dmitry Konovalov - the men convicted and sentenced to death for their actions surrounding the April 2011 explosion in a Minsk subway station - have been executed despite international appeals to Belarusian President for clemency.
Macedonia: Peace March – Enthusiasm, Controversy
The upcoming March for Peace in Skopje has overwhelming support, evident through the positive uproar in social media. Lone voices, however, warn the initiative is used as a PR opportunity by celebrities, and even as a hypocritical alibi for known hatemongers.
Macedonia: “Who Wants War in Macedonia?”
At civil4tolerance (tolerance-mk) blog, Xhabir Deralla explains why the Macedonian government is responsible for the current rise of interethnic violence.
Macedonia: Fuel Prices Continue to Rise
Continuous increase of fuel prices is a cause of much concern for citizens of Macedonia, and some vent the tension through humor.
Macedonia: March for Peace Scheduled for Saturday, March 17
The people of multi-ethnic Macedonia are organizing a March for Peace this Saturday as an expression of concern that the recent hate crimes are a harbinger of civil war. Filip Stojanovski reports.
Europe: Will ACTA Treaty Pass After Protests?
The ratification of the Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty (ACTA) by the European Parliament has been delayed in expectation of an opinion from the European Court of Justice on its conformity with fundamental rights.
The Balkans: Debating Angelina Jolie's Film and the Legacy of War
Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, has received much publicity, both positive and negative, in the Balkans, adding fuel to the ongoing debate on the legacy of the wars fought in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Slovakia: Parliamentary Election Update
The Economist's Eastern Approaches blog writes about the situation in Slovakia prior to the March 10 parliamentary election, and about the election's results.
Poland: Szczekociny Train Crash, Yet Another Tragedy
Polandian writes about the reactions to the March 3 deadly train crash in Szczekociny, Poland: “When the comments were gathered from the prominent politicians, one that stood out was [PM] Donald Tusk saying something like ‘…This is the worst disaster since… the last such tragedy’.”
Ukraine: Eurovision, Gaitana, and Racism
Odessablog writes about the Ukrainian far right's reaction to this year's Eurovision nomination – Gaitana, a Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent: “It doesn’t matter that she was born in Kyiv, has lived there all her life, is a Ukrainian citizen, or that her mother is a...
Russia: First Woman in Space Turns 75 Years Old
Just days before the world celebrated International Women's Day last week, Valentina Tereshkova - the first woman to enter space - celebrated her 75th birthday.
Russia: Putin as Presidential Candidate and as President-Elect
Eugene Ivanov of The Ivanov Report writes about Putin the presidential candidate and Putin the President-elect.
Russia: “The Way Forward”
OpenDemocracy.net posts an English translation of Yuri Saprykin's Lenta.ru text [ru] on the new, post-election goals of Russia's protest movement. (More insight into the March 4 presidential election and the opposition in Russia – from journalist Tikhon Dzyadko and an independent election observer Julia Chegodaikina.)
Macedonia: ‘Academic Solidarity’ Against Free Speech and Scientific Method
A young woman, gender scholar, human rights activist and blogger, who dared to speak truth to those in power in Macedonia and stood up against entrenched homophobia, ended up with a ruined academic career. Filip Stojanovski reports on the case of Irena Cvetkovik.
Macedonia: Blogirame.mk, a New Blog Aggregator
A new Macedonian blog aggregator Blogirame.mk (“We blog”) started working on Feb. 29, 2012. Founded by three popular twitterers/bloggers Pipo, Necovski and Iskric, and hailed by the community (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), it invites manual submitting of sites, which can be used as an indicator of the quantity of...
Georgia: The return of Vladimir Putin
time difference comments on the return of Vladimir Putin to power in Russia following this week's election. The blog says that even if much of the world is concerned by the development, the Georgian government must recognize the reality and not alienate itself from its powerful and sometimes mutually antagonistic...
Russia: Anglophone Bloggers Discuss Election Fraud and Post-Election Future
Veronica Khokhlova reviews the most recent Anglophone blog discussions of the March 4 presidential election in Russia.
Russia: 11 Areas of Election-Related ICT Innovation
Сrisis can be a fruitful time for innovation. In Russia, post-election protests have given birth to dozens of new web platforms and mobile applications. Gregory Asmolov summarises some of the key areas of innovation.
Russia: Sex, Women, Putin and Videos
Young women calling on co-enthusiasts to rip off their clothes for Putin last summer, seemed to have disappeared from the scene. As the election season draws to a close in Russia, it is worth taking a look back at how that movement evolved, and how it inspired other women - both, for and against Putin - to get creative.
About our Eastern & Central Europe coverage
Filip Stojanovski is the Central Europe editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
Daria Dergacheva is the Eastern Europe editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
