Latest posts by Veronica Khokhlova
Reflections on the Croatian Generals’ Acquittal
Alan Jaksic of Balkan Anarchist posts a follow-up to his initial comments on the Nov. 16 reversal of the convictions of the Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač: […] So do I still consider last month’s acquittal at the Hague a “disgraceful acquittal”, an “outrage” and an “insult to...
Snow Emergency in Western Ukraine
On Sunday, hundreds of vehicles were trapped on the roads of western Ukraine due to severe snowstorms. According to various mainstream and citizen media reports, the situation was critical, as many of those stuck inside their cars were running out of food, water and gasoline, while the weather was not getting better.
Online Tools for People with Disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina
UNDP's Voices From Eurasia writes about the new web-based tools aimed at promoting the rights of people with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Croatia's EU Negotiation Model: A View From Turkey
At BlogActiv.com, Kader Sevinç shares highlights [en] from her interview [hr] with the Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija, in which she talked about Turkey’s accession to the EU and the Croatian model for the EU negotiations – “a multi-party model overcoming deep political fractures over the EU membership target.”
Kallxo.com: Crowdmapping Corruption in Kosovo
Responding to this discussion on the impact of crowdsourced anti-corruption initiatives, Alexis Franke of UNDP's Voices From Eurasia writes about Kallxo.com, “a project that encourages citizens to report cases of corruption in Kosovo via a Ushahidi-based platform.”
Romania's General Election Results “As Expected”
The Economist's Eastern Approaches and Bucharest Life comment on the results of the Dec. 9 parliamentary elections in Romania.
Remembering the Short-Lived Crimean People’s Republic
James Conohan guest-blogs at Greater Surbiton about the Crimean People's Republic, which existed from December 1917 to January 1918 and “was the first attempt in the Muslim world to establish a state that was both democratic and secular”:
Regional Bloggers Attend Blogomanija Conference in Serbia
Dozens of bloggers [sr] from Serbia, as well as from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia, attended Blogomanija [sr], a regional blogging conference that was held in Serbia on Dec. 7-9. Among other things, they discussed [sr] the impact of blogs and social networks on social and political...
Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Lost Time”
Amila Bosnae writes about the years “stolen” by the war in the former Yugoslavia: You lose a couple of years once, and twenty years later, you still haven’t caught up. […] Time stopped for us in a way, then. I didn’t even grow at all for the better part of...
Sounding the Alarm on Hungary's New Electoral Law
Hungarian Spectrum posts an English translation of the appeal by the members of the pre-1989 Democracy Movement to organizations of the European Union, in which they share their concerns regarding the new electoral law: If the next Hungarian elections in 2014 were to be held under the recently rammed-through rules,...
Slovenia: “Second Republic (Again)”
Sleeping With Pengovsky explains the current political situation in Slovenia (more – here and here): […] [PM Janez Janša] already controls the parliament. He controls the economy. And as of last Sunday, he also controls the president of the republic. […] The only unknown in this scenario are protests. The...
“The Slovenian Uprising”
Sleeping With Pengovsky comments on Slovenia's presidential election (GV text is here) and on the protest movement – “which appears to be totally decentralised and operating via Facebook”: […] At the moment protests in Slovenia are directed against many different targets. Mayor Kangler, Mayor Janković, prime minister Janša, interior minister...
“Romania’s Non-Election”
Romania's general election is scheduled to take place on Dec. 9. Bucharest Life notes that “this has been the most lacklustre Romanian election campaign since 1990″ and that “it’s not the outcome of the election that we need to pay attention to, it’s the outcome of the outcome”: […] Given...
Slovenia's New President Elected Amidst Anti-Corruption Protests
The second round of the 2012 presidential election in Slovenia, in which the former Slovenian PM Borut Pahor defeated the incumbent president Danilo Türk, took place on Dec. 2, amidst ongoing mass protests.
Why Vote-Rigging in Ukraine's Elections Shouldn't Go Unpunished
Ukraine’s recent parliamentary elections were marred by allegations of vote-rigging and other forms of corruption. Veronica Khokhlova reveals some of the criticisms leveled by Ukrainian civil society against the elections, and argues that this may be the time for the opposition to rally around a common cause.
Croatian Senior Generals Acquitted of War Crimes
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia comments on this Friday's UN appeal court's judgment acquitting Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač of war crimes: […] Some people are delighted with the judgment and other people are outraged, with divisions following predictable political lines. The appeals chamber itself is no less...
Czech Kids’ Anti-Roma Attitudes Not Discouraged
Jeremy Druker of TOL's East of Center writes about anti-Roma attitudes among school students in the Czech city of Jihlava: […] These kids obviously get their opinions from their parents, teachers, and fellow students; they can freely read as much racist propaganda online as they want […]; they hear about...
From Bosnia to Mecca: “A Pilgrimage on Foot”
An Aussie in Bosnia wrote about Senad Hadzic's walk from a town in northern Bosnia all the way to Mecca – here and here [en]; a Facebook page devoted to this “pilgrimage on foot” is here [bs].
“Self-Defence is No Offence”: Nigerian Student on Trial in Ukraine
On Nov. 5, 2011, Olaolu Femi, a Nigerian student in Ukraine, was attacked by a group of young people in the city of Luhansk; he was detained the next day, and his alleged attempt to defend himself and a friend was interpreted by the Ukrainian prosecutors as attempted murder, for...
Ukrainians Rally in Protest Over Vote-Rigging
Online reports that have been coming in from disputed districts over the past week offer a good insight into the Ukrainian election routine and also help explain the frustration of ordinary voters.
Far-Right Party Performs Strongly in Ukrainian Vote
While the results of the Oct. 28 elections in Ukraine are still being finalized, netizens are already discussing the anticipated outcome. Many are paying special attention to VO Svoboda, a far-right party, and its victorious leap over the 5% threshold necessary to get any Parliament seats.
