Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from July, 2009
Russia: Scoring partly free in Freedom of the Net report
Karina Alexanyan of Internet & Democracy Blog accounts for Russia labeled partly free in a recent Freedom House report on Freedom on the Net.
Latvia: EU loan but on what conditions?
Baltic Economy Watch discusses EU's upcoming loan to save Latvia's economy and reflects on its conditions.
Ukraine: Canadians helping out with AIDS prevention
The Natashas draws attention to a Canadian effort to help developing a model HIV/AIDS prevention program in Ukraine in partnership with UNICEF.
Ukraine: Party of Regions lead in public opinion
Ukraine Today comments on a new opinion poll, showing that Viktor Yanukovich's Party of Regions currently rates highest among Ukrainian voters.
Russia: Comparing Hitler and Stalin
LJ user fesstagere turns attention to [RUS] an Ekho Moskvy survey, showing that the radio stations readers see greater similarities than differences between Hitler and Stalin – a comparative issue that recently has evoked strong reactions and protests in Russian debate.
Bulgaria: Ukrainian gas crisis caused government fall
LJ user koltashov turns attention to [RUS] a report claiming that Bulgaria's government fell earlier this year due to the gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
Hungary: Failure of the liberals
Hungarian Spectrum discusses why the Hungarian liberal party, the SZDSZ, seems to be failing in its political clout.
Bulgaria: Judicial problems
Viharg of Blogactiv.eu complains about deficiencies in Bulgaria's judicial system.
Ukraine: Nato membership in question
Ukrainiana strongly reacts against voices in both Ukraine and the West saying no to the country becoming a member of Nato.
Russia: Retreat of the Cold Warriors
Gerhard Mangott discusses [GER] the recent letter by Central and East European leaders, warning the US of the consequences of a withdrawal from the region.
Russia: Medvedev Murder Mystery
Anna Politkovskaya... The mere name evokes images of Moscow's worst public relations nightmare in years - an ongoing ordeal for Russia's international reputation in the realm of rule of law. Still, the murderers have not been brought to justice, and Politkovskaya turned into a martyr for world voices critical of Russia - for them epitomising everything that is wrong and wretched with the country. So, should President Medvedev's quick reaction to this week's murder of Human Rights' acitivists Natalya Estemirova merely be regarded as lessons learnt from the Politkovskaya assassination? The answer might be more complicated, as voices from the Russian blogosphere have their say.
Russia: Grozny photographies
LJ user pumchik posts pictures with comments [RUS] from the new Grozny, rebuilt after the second Checnyan war.
Russia: Did Kadyrov kill Estemirova?
Reactions to the murder of Russian Human Rights’ avtivist, Natalya Estemirova, of Memorial have been frequent in recent days. Sean's Russia Blog discusses accusations against Chechen president Kadyrov of being behind the murder, and posts a translation of a Novaya Gazeta article. Streetwise Professor compares the terror of the Chechen...
Ukraine: Toying with early elections
Ukraine Today comments on president Yushchenko toying with the idea of resigning in exchange for parliamentary dissolution and combined presidential and parliamentary elections.
Belarus: Arms trade rescues regime
Bielar.us discusses a recent United Nations’ report on arms’ trade in the world, where Belarus is pointed out as a major dealer, and the significance this trade has for the regime.
Russia: Kadyrov sues Memorial
Eternal Remont comments on Chechen president's, Kadyrov, plans to sue Russian Human Rights’ organization Memorial for libel, by accusing him to be guilty of Natalya Estemirova's murder.
Russia: Extremism law going to extremities
Sean's Russia Blog reports how the Russian law against extremism is increasingly liberally interpreted, now to include the registration of youth subcultures, in parallel to the registration of ideologically harmful culture during soviet times.
Russia: Shalamov's Siberia
Russian Blog does a follow up on the Russian writer and Gulag prisoner Varlam Shalamov, visiting sites of his incarceration in the Ural and posting pictures to illustrate the story
Russia: Americanophobia or Americanophilia?
In the midst of the Russophobia-Russophilia debate, LJ user drugoi raises the issue [RUS] of whether Russians are Americanophobes or Americanophiles.
Russia: Which way with the WTO?
Amanda Lahan at Crisis Crunch discusses Russia's ambivalence on whether to become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) or not.
Latvia: Limiting civil liberties
Free Speech Emergency in Latvia argues that a new government proposal to expand security police powers would increasingly limit the scope of civil liberties in Latvia.
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