Politics

‘No Rallies, No Speeches, No Posters’

A look at Turkmenistan’s bizarre, pro-forma presidential election.

By TOL and neweurasia

8 February 2012

Around the Bloc

Court ‘Censorship’ in Slovakia, Magnitsky Faces Posthumous Trial

Plus, Kyrgyz gold miners go on strike and winter tastes sweet for Czech wine makers.

By Ky Krauthamer and Joshua Boissevain

8 February 2012

Around the Bloc

ACTA Under Fire, Icy Floods Batter Bulgaria

Plus, Putin lays out corruption-fighting plan and the tragedy of childhood HIV in Kyrgyzstan.

By Ky Krauthamer, Ioana Caloianu, and Joshua Boissevain

7 February 2012

Economy & Business

In Kyrgyzstan, Buyer Beware

Repeated failures to sell public companies may be a hangover from a hasty privatization.

By Askar Aktalov

7 February 2012

Around the Bloc

Romania’s Boc Government, Hungary’s Airline Become History

Plus, size matters at Moscow rallies, and who’s hogging Europe’s gas?

By Barbara Frye and Ioana Caloianu

6 February 2012

Society

The Real Story of the Kyrgyzstan Prison Protests

Prisoners become pawns in a power struggle as reforms threaten entrenched groups. From EurasiaNet.

By Chris Rickleton

6 February 2012

Education

Lithuania’s Dispensable Teachers

As the countryside empties out and schools close, thousands of teachers lose perks and even their jobs. By Linas Jegelevicius

3 February 2012

Around the Bloc

Moscow Laments EU ‘Lecture,’ Kosovo Seeks Full Independence

Plus, Bosnia passes key census law, and Tajik forces battle drug smugglers.

By S. Adam Cardais and Joshua Boissevain

3 February 2012

COLUMNS

Middle Europa

No Longer So Powerless

Protests across Central Europe suggest a disconnect between the masses and politicians, who cling to an elitist view of policy-making.  

By MARTIN EHL

7 February 2012

Balkan Eye

Hit the Gas

In Bulgaria’s bitter debate over shale drilling, rational argument gets lost behind the eternal battle lines of Russia versus the West.

By BOYKO VASSILEV

2 February 2012

Middle Europa

Empty Promises Don’t Pay 

Slovak voters could learn some lessons on populism from southeastern Europe.

By MARTIN EHL

31 January 2012

Russian Unorthodox

Out of Jail, but Still in Prison

The hellish existence of many of Russia’s former inmates is everybody’s problem.

By GALINA STOLYAROVA

26 January 2012

Middle Europa

The Best of Intentions

Hungary’s man in charge of Roma integration seems to care about the task at hand, but does he have the resources to make real progress?

By MARTIN EHL

24 January 2012

Middle Europa

Poland’s Quintessential Small Business, Under Threat

The ubiquitous secondhand stores are being squeezed by modern shopping malls on the one hand and “exchange markets” on the other.

By MARTIN EHL

17 January 2012

The Fourth Estate

The Digital Counter-Revolution

Digitization, hyped as the savior of Eastern European TV, instead is bringing us more of the same old thing.

By MARIUS DRAGOMIR

16 January 2012