Blog Profile / Eastern Approaches
| URL : | http://www.economist.com/blogs/eastern-approaches | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | News / International Affairs | |
| Posts on Regator: | 542 | |
| Posts / Week: | 4.8 | |
| Archived Since: | April 18, 2011 | |
Blog Post Archive
Too many road deaths
THE headline stories on one of the Polish papers on June 13 th made typical reading. Four people killed when their car ploughed into a shop near Poznan; five dead after their car rolled off the tarmac and into a ditch along a rural road in the northwest. Show More Summary
Resignation amid scandal
A SCANDAL including a love affair, the abuse of secret services and alleged corruption swept away Petr Ne?as, the Czech Republic's prime minister, and his centre-right cabinet nearly a year before elections were scheduled. The outgoing ruling coalition now hopes to cling to power under a new leader as details of the scandal continue to emerge. Show More Summary
Finnish lessons for Croatia
“AT FIRST glance Croatia and Finland share a great many common features,” said Esko Aho (pictured), a former prime minister of Finland, when visiting Zagreb a few weeks ago. Mr Aho visited Croatia to talk about the reforms he introduced...Show More Summary
Is this the political end of Petr Ne?as?
A JUICY spy scandal has thrown the Czech Republic's embattled government into the gravest crisis since it came to power in 2010. And while Petr Ne?as (pictured), the prime minister, is stubbornly fighting for survival, few believe that he can ride out this storm. Show More Summary
Politics overrides business logic
IN POLAND political decisions sometimes outweigh business logic especially when state-controlled energy companies that are deemed strategically important are involved. This seems to have been the case with the country’s largest power-sector investment. Show More Summary
A fall from grace
THE EU could suspend Hungary's voting rights to force its prime minister, Viktor Orbán, to tow the line. But could too much foreign interference have unintended consequences? Follow paywall rules
Not such a happy anniversary
A HISTORY pock-marked with war and tragedy makes happy anniversaries a rare event in Poland but last week Poles have been popping champagne corks to celebrate the 24th anniversary of the country’s first free elections. In June 1989 Solidarity swept the communists aside in a rousing victory that would help change the face of Europe. Show More Summary
Tear gas, Twitter and stubbed toes
IN 1957 the novelist Lawrence Durrell published a comic novel called "Esprit de Corps" based on his experiences at the British embassy to communist Yugoslavia. There is little doubt that Dusan Spasojevic, the Serbian ambassador to Turkey, could write a modern day equivalent. Show More Summary
A hard lesson learned
IN SPITE of alarming pictures from the Czech capital (see above) improved flood prevention measures look set to hold in Prague and fears of catastrophic flooding are subsiding. Yet elsewhere in the country and the region rivers continued to rise today. Show More Summary
The end of an era?
THE business of legislating is at a virtual standstill in the Czech Republic. The government of Petr Ne?as (pictured above) seems satisfied merely to hold on to power until elections in spring 2014. Politicking, on the other hand, is in full swing. Show More Summary
Greetings to the President
A cyber-attack on a Lithuanian news portal has slowed down the country's internet and highlighted its weak digital security, prompting appeals to other countries for assistance. It began after a threatening email threatening editorsShow More Summary
Two puzzling judgments in The Hague
THE credibility of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague is in shreds and few understand the reasoning behind recent judgments. This seems to be the consensus of comments made in the wake of two landmark judgements last week. Show More Summary
Under pressure
VLADIMIR PUTIN'S crackdown on opponents from across the political spectrum is a sign of growing desperation. Our correspondents discuss how Western governments should respond
A new government at last
PLAMEN ORESHARSKI is not promising his fellow Bulgarians a bed of roses. “Bulgaria is in a deep institutional crisis, continuing economic depression and worsening disintegration of society,” said Mr Oresharski as his government was sworn in yesterday. Show More Summary
IVF in a Catholic country
IN VITRO fertilisation (IVF) is still a controversial issue in Poland where the Catholic Church retains an influential voice. The fertility treatment is legal—thousands of Polish couples have paid for the procedure in the 50 or so private clinics that offer it—but it is unregulated. Show More Summary
An impossible middle path?
IT IS a daunting to-do list. Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Georgian prime minister, made a speech on Independence Day, May 26 th, highlighting the challenges facing Georgia: “democratic values, human rights, EU and NATO membership, mending ties with neighboring countries, de-occupation, establishment rule of law, free judiciary and free media". Show More Summary
A dark side of the Catholic Church
POLISH media are notoriously wary of confronting the powerful Catholic Church. Until recently, at least. On May 23rd TVN24, a news channel, ran a half-hour programme about child abuse by priests. It was the second in just a few weeks. Show More Summary
Liebe Ungarn
HUNGARY and Germany are usually the best of friends. So the current diplomatic spat between Budapest and Berlin is raising eyebrows across central Europe. It all started on May 16th, when Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, told an...Show More Summary
A gay rights rally under attack
NOT even Georgia’s bitter election campaign last year saw this level of animosity. To mark the International Day against Homophobia on May 17 th, a small number of gay rights activists planned a rally in central Tbilisi. In response, several thousands of Georgians joined churchmen to stage a large counter-demonstration. Show More Summary
Bearer beware
BEARER shares, an archaic financial instrument in which the only proof of ownership is the physical possession of the shares on paper, will finally be outlawed in the Czech Republic. It is high time. The opaque ownership of companies with such bearer shares is a huge problem during bidding for public contracts. Show More Summary