Putin’s passport scheme in Ukraine: elsewhere in emerging Europe
Our weekly collection of articles on emerging Europe published elsewhere this week, all of which grabbed our attention and are well worth your time. However, listing them here does not necessarily mean that we agree with every word, nor that they necessarily reflect Emerging europe editorial policy.
Putin’s passport ploy in Ukraine
By turning the so-called separatist republics in eastern Ukraine into Russian passport protectorates, Moscow is creating an unlimited excuse to intervene. This should be sufficient to prolong the current occupation indefinitely without requiring the formality of a formal annexation.
Why is the Polish economy emerging so strongly from the pandemic?
Poland managed to avoid the same level of economic damage suffered in other European countries during the pandemic. However, contrary to government claims about effective management, it is luck, the priority given to GDP over health, and restrictions focused more on personal freedoms than economic freedoms that explain why Poland has remained relatively unscathed so far. ‘now.
Anti-Semitic incidents highlight Romania’s grim role in Holocaust
In late April, the Washington National Cathedral unveiled a stone sculpture of Holocaust survivor and longtime political activist Elie Wiesel to honor his legacy as an international human rights defender. But in the birthplace of Romania’s Nobel Laureate, Nazi Allied leader Marshal Ion Antonescu – a man who sent hundreds of thousands of Jews to their deaths – has streets named after him.
Fine them – or give them a mask?
Latvia is the first of the Baltic states to convict someone for disseminating false information, finding him guilty of hooliganism and incitement to hatred on social media. Meanwhile, Estonia and Lithuania rely on educating society rather than criminal sanctions.
Large Pharmaceuticals and Private Equity Seek Strong Returns in Eastern Europe
In the race to deliver vaccines to end the Covid-19 pandemic, US drug developer Novavax turned to emerging Europe to ramp up production with a pair of deals that endorsed a growing trend to consolidation in the region.
Putting the economy at the expense of ethics is a dismal vaccination strategy – Bulgaria shows why
Bulgaria has focused on protecting the economy rather than saving older people from Covid. In the end, it won’t achieve either.
What is Russia doing in the Black Sea?
Russia has long viewed the Black Sea as essential for projecting its power and influence in the Mediterranean and beyond. Yet protecting Russian interests in the region comes at a cost.
A Kosovo museum to preserve childhood memories of war
Human rights activists in Kosovo are preparing to open a museum dedicated to the experiences of children of the 1998-99 war and ask people to donate personal items and testimonies from their childhood to display.
Panthers pandemonium polarizes Slovenia ahead of EU presidency
A mysterious panther causes unrest as Slovenia prepares to take the rotating EU presidency. The problem has exploded over reports that the government of Prime Minister Janez Janša is planning to give cufflinks depicting a panther as a gift to senior EU officials during its presidency of the Council of the EU. Janša, a right-wing populist who polarizes domestic opinion, sees the panther as a symbol of Slovenia. He loves panthers so much that he wrote a novel in 203 BC. AD entitled “The white panther”.
Transfer public funds to private foundations in Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has started to build a parallel power structure, the functioning of which depends on people loyal to him. But would it allow the Hungarian Prime Minister to exercise control over the opposition state and society?
Two Jewish writers captured the spirit of interwar Romania. What can they teach us about the rise of fascism?
In their literature, Mihail Sebastian and Ludovic Bruckstein portray two different facets of the Jewish experience on the eve of World War II. To mark the latest translations, With an unopened umbrella, by Ludovic Bruckstein, and The unnamed star, by Mihail Sebastian, The Calvert Journal examined how two very different lives intertwined to build a picture of repression and resistance in interwar Romania.
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway: Who Will Pay?
The elusive China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan rail project was hinted at before Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled his grand vision for the Belt and Road Initiative. The opportunities are enticing. The route, which has been referred to by the acronym CKU, could offer valuable outlets to the Persian Gulf and Turkey, via the Caucasus. But after a quarter of a century of chuckling, the challenges remain the same. Difficult, mountainous terrain, lack of money and no clear idea of how to make the railroad profitable.
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