| Volume 2 Archives by issue: | |
Volume 2 Issue 17, 2 May 2000
Uncivil Society
Brian J Požun
Skinheads in Slovenia.
Reversing the Rudder
Mel Huang
Estonia's military reform has hit a rough patch.
Kinoeye
Finále Makes a Good Opening Act
Peter Hames
Last month's Finale film festival in Plzen.
More films from the Neue deutsche Filme section of this year's Berlinale reviewed:
Just Good Friends?
Elke de Wit
Anne Hoegh Krohn's voyeuristic debut.
Romanticising Misogyny
Elke de Wit
Goethe's long-deserved exposure as a cold, uncaring woman-hater fails to materialise.
The Arts
Getting Greedy
Wojtek Kość
Why Andrzej Wajda's Oscar could be bad for Polish cinema.
Comment and Analysis
Stop Press Continued
Gusztáv Kosztolányi
The Juszt affair and the Miklos Lakatos confession.
Something Positive?
Jan Čulík
Do the recent changes at Czech TV News mean that badly needed reforms are finally about to get underway?
Think Global, Vote Local
Catherine Lovatt
June's local elections in Romania will be a trial run for the country's general elections in November.
Of Pigs, Coal, Nerds and Utopia
Oliver Craske
Illegal immigrants, eco-friendly pig poo and the potential benefits of Hungarian nerds in the British media spotlight.
Yet More Myths of Yugoslavia
Sam Vaknin
The third and final part of this series debunking Balkan misconceptions.
Debate
Extremism and Proportional Representation
Frank Glodek asks why PR is not considered to be a part of the problem. Perrault responds.
News
Albania
Austria
Bulgaria
Czech Rep
Estonia
Germany
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Volume 2 Issue 18, 9 May 2000
EU, Ready or Not?
This week, we examine the current state of the European Union's Eastward enlargement.
Between Helsinki and a Hard Place
Mel Huang
EU member candidates: an overview.
Poland:
Staying the Course
Rafał Riedel
Despite some turbulence, EU entry has enjoyed broad political support.
Slovakia:
Playing Catch-up
Robin Sheeran
Slovakia drives forward to leave the second-wave countries behind.
Romania:
Long Road to Reform
Catherine Lovatt
Time is not on Romania's side as the government pushes for reform.
Slovenia:
City Heat
Brian J Požun
The integration process for Slovenia's cities.
Germany:
Hesitant Hegemon
Jens Boysen
EU expansion puts the once-reluctant giant on centre-stage in Europe.
Hungary:
Playing Hard to Get
Gusztáv Kosztolányi
Awaiting a specific date, Hungarian patience with the EU may be running out.
Kinoeye
Lynch Pin?
Andrew James Horton
Director Aleksei Balabanov has been described as "Russia's David Lynch."
Warning: Football Can Damage Your Health
Elke de Wit
Tomy Wigand's coke-fired tale of footballing self-ruin.
The Arts
Polish Sensation
Wojtek Kość
Can a "universal penis stretcher" be a work of art? Or is it more a symptom of its sickness?
Comment and Analysis
Immigration in Europe
Oliver Craske
Are we on the right wavelength? A look at the UK media last week.
Anarchist Field Day
Jan Čulík
Prague's anarchist demonstration - in the media and in reality.
Stop Press, Part 3
Gusztáv Kosztolányi
Our examination of the Juszt affair and freedom of the press in Hungary continues.
On PR and Extremism
Mel Huang
The pros and cons of proportional representation in old and new democracies.
The Union of Death
Sam Vaknin
Balkan groups aiming for liberation by violence; are they freedom fighters or terrorists?
News:
Albania
Austria
Belarus
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Estonia
Germany
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Volume 2 Issue 19, 15 May 2000
Croatia: A new beginning
Marking 100 days of the new government in Zagreb, we take a deeper look at today's Croatia and its future role in Europe and the world.
CER Interviews
President of Croatia Stipe Mesić
Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granić
Vesna Pusić, President of the Croatian People's Party
Vlado Gotovac, President of the Liberal Party
Revolution or Denial?
Dejan Jović
Franjo Tuđman's death could not have been more conveniently timed; it gave Croatians a perfect scapegoat.Between Tradition and Reality
Dragan Antulov
Regionalism has firm historical roots in Croatia, but nevertheless its re-establishment faces problems.EU Odyssey
Sharon Fisher
The new government will need more than enthusiam to gain EU entry.(Male) Members Only
Đurđa Knežević
The programmes of almost all parties reveal that in Croatian political culture woman as an individual hardly exists.Toward Multiculturalism
Mirjana Domini
The legal framework is there to protect minorities, but Croatia still needs to make progress to be a fully multicultural society.Mirror from a Garbage Can
Zoran Ferić
Croatia's transition from one totalitarian regime to another in the 1990s has been reflected in literature.Moving into the Frame
Jurica Pavičić
With its film industry in crisis, can Croatia still make a difference to world cinema?Ballet for the Nation?
Sue Bagust
A millennial Croatian ballet production misses the irony of its nationalism.Music Days Revived
Borko Špoljarić
After a four-year hiatus, Croatia's festival of 20th-century music is back.Still Seeking a Niche
Igor Nobilo
Once a formidable pressure group, students are now worryingly apathetic.Co-existence in Hardship
Ivo Goldstein
An in-depth look at the causes of the Yugoslav conflicts of the last decade.Resistance Ideology
Zoran Pusić
Croatia's battle of ideologies is inextricably linked to World War II.A New Starting Point
Mladen Vedriš
Croatia's economic future lies in an international outlook to trade.The Church and Croats
Anna Maria Gruenfelder
Does the new politics spell a new relationship between Church, state and nation?The Union of Death
Sam Vaknin and Pat FitzPatrick
Two contrasting views of the Ustasa and the relevance of Croatia's wartime past today.
Kinoeye
Dumping the Girlfriend
Elke de Wit
Klaus Krämer entertains with a hard-to-dispose-of body.
Comment and Analysis
Tito is Dead... Long Live Tito!
Brian J Požun
The Former Yugoslavia confronts comrade Josip Broz Tito, 20 years after his death.
Communist Regression
Jan Čulík
State-sponsored propoganda appears to be alive and well on Czech Public Service Television.
Winning is Everything
Mel Huang
Latvia's victory over Russia in the World Hockey Championships has implications beyond the world of sports.
Setting the Date
Oliver Craske
Last week, The Economist declared: "The end game of enlargement is under way." Is that so?
CER Culture Calendar
News
Austria
Belarus
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Germany
Hungary
Kosovo
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Volume 2 Issue 20, 22 May 2000
Suicidal Tendencies
Brian J Požun
Slovenians have abandoned the shame surrounding their high suicide rates and have begun to discuss the problem.
One Hundred Days of Solitude
Magali Perrault
The first three months of Austria's new government.
Boiling Point
Slavko Živanov
The opposition is in the streets, and Serbia is now in full crisis.
Kinoeye
Pogo Frenzy
Elke de Wit
Does the disturbingly popular Oi! Warning glamourise skinhead violence?
Standing out from the Pulp
Wojtek Kość
A revered writer dies and an incisive Polish film masterpiece that Poles don't want to see.
Debate
A forum for regular authors and readers to expand their views on CER articles.
The Union of Death
Sam Vaknin and Židas Daskalovski
More discussion of Balkan violence. This week, Macedonia's IMRO examined.
Frank Glodek
Continuing the debate over the pros and cons of proportional representation.
Comment and Analysis
Parisian Scandal
Catherine Lovatt
The biggest political scandal since Communism is now rocking Romania.
Finding a Role in an Enlarged EU
Andrew Cave
The EU must encourage national identities in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Politics of Smear
Jan Čulík
By embracing smear tactics, maybe the Czech Republic has entered the mainstream of Western democratic politics.
Head Count
Mel Huang
The first census in independent Estonia will shape policy decisions for years to come.
Keeping the Faith
Oliver Craske
The UK press on the 80th birthday of the world's most famous Pole.
Stop Press
Gusztáv Kosztolányi
Part four of our examination of the Juszt affair and censorship in Hungary.
Interview
Václav Bělohradský
Philosopher Václav Bělohradský talks to CER about Czech political culture, capitalism, globalisation and Central Europe's place in the post-modern world.
Student Essay
Little Czechs, Big Europe
Jiří Brodský
Czechs accept entry into the European Union in the same manner as they accepted democracy ten years ago: messianically.
CER Culture Calendar
News
Austria
Bulgaria
Czech Rep
Germany
Hungary
Kosovo
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Volume 2 Issue 21, 29 May 2000
Foreigners Go Home!
Jan Čulík
Following the lead of her West European neighbours, the Czech Republic is taking a hostile attitude toward both refugees and students from non-Western countries.
Facing Down Shooting-up
Brian J Požun
Slovenia faces major drugs problems, but society is fighting back.
The Experiment Continues
David Fanning
A recent conference on the under-researched topic of Russian avant-garde music was cause for celebration.
Kinoeye
Experimental SpacesElke de Wit
The German film competition at the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival reviewed.
The Arts
Two reports from the fourth Sofia Music and Film Festival.
Python Invades,
Where are the Bulgarians?
Miroslav Gadgovski
Why Monty Python is so popular in Bulgaria and why there is a lack of local film talent.
Global Music, Local Trends
Apostol Apostolov
"Balkan conservatism" leaves young Bulgarian musical tastes half-open to global trends.
Comment and Analysis
Their Poison
Oliver Craske
This week, we look at UK media coverage of the background and consequences of the Tisza River disaster.
Looking after the Family Silver
Catherine Lovatt
Romania gets its own National Trust to protect historic buildings and landmarks.
Vacation Vacancy
Michael J Kopanic Jr
Tourism remains a largely untapped source of potential revenue for Slovakia.
Interview
Václav Bělohradský
Philosopher Václav Bělohradský talks to CER about Czech political culture, capitalism, globalisation and Central Europe's place in the post-modern world.
Debate
A forum for regular authors and readers to expand their views on CER articles.
The CER / Blue Ear Debate
An e-mail based group to discuss CER articles on the BlueEar Forum. Sign up now.
The Union of Death
Sam Vaknin
This week, Serbia's Black Hand examined as part of this series on Balkan violence.
CER Culture Calendar
News
Albania
Austria
Belarus
Croatia
Czech Rep
Estonia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Volume 2 Issue 22, 5 June 2000
It Isn't Easy Being Biljana
Pat FitzPatrick
Bosnia's Iron Lady, Biljana Plavšić, this week escaped a "kidnapping attempt" by SFOR troops. Is this why she is reverting to pro-Milošević politics?
Not Just Racism
Bernd Baumgartl
To understand Jörg Haider's appeal to Austrians, one must look past simple racism.
Singularly Collaborative
Tom Liška
CER talks to Czech director David Ondříček and asks why in an age of auteurs he prefers creative team effort.
Alcohol: The industry and the social phenomenon
Hard Graft to Make, Pleasure to Intake
Gusztáv Kosztolányi
CER's roving Hungarian reporter interviews producers and consumers to assess the state of the drinking nation.Battle of the Brews
Brian J Požun
As beer sales fall throughout Europe, the rivalry between Slovenia's two leading brands intensifies.Boozing in the Baltics
Mel Huang
Already heavily imbibing nations, 50 years of Soviet occupation did little to temper the drinking habits of Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians.
Kinoeye
Virgin Mary Meets Porn Star
Elke de Wit
The religious and the erotic mix in the German competition of the prestigious Oberhausen festival of short films.
Books
Borders Up!
Vitali Vitaliev
Reviewed by Mel Huang
Vitaliev's drunken chronicle is as poignant as any serious study of Central and Eastern Europe.
Comment and Analysis
A Deep Trauma
Jan Čulík
The present frictions in Czech-Roma relations have complex and deep-seated causes.
Debate
A forum for regular authors and readers to expand their views on CER articles.
The CER / Blue Ear Debate
An e-mail based group to discuss CER articles on the BlueEar Forum. Sign up now.
The Union of Death
Sam Vaknin and Slavko Živanov
More controversial views of Balkan violence. This week, the KLA and more views on the Black Hand.
Student Essay
Media Demythtified
Darja Zajícová
The line between personal and political sympathies and objective reporting within Czech media remains blurred; we look at how it got to be so.
Interview
Václav Bělohradský
Philosopher Václav Bělohradský talks to CER about Czech political culture, capitalism, globalisation and Central Europe's place in the post-modern world.
CER Culture Calendar
News
Albania
Austria
Belarus
Bosnia
Croatia
Czech Rep
Estonia
Greece
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Volume 2 Issue 23, 12 June 2000
A Year of Failure
Borce Gjorgjievski
Millions of dollars have gone into the KFOR and UNMIK missions in Kosovo, yet nobody seems happy with them. How the hell did they get into this mess?
The School Sadists
Jindřich Ginter
The horrors of bullying in Czech schools go largely unacknowledged.
The Torchbearer Dies
Mel Huang
Estonia is in shock at the death of Lepo Sumera, the composer who tried to entwine hope and hopelessness.
Books
Rebellious Civil SocietyGrzegorz Ekiert and Jan Kubik
Reviewed by Wojtek Kość
The authors of this study focus on the vital relationship between protest and democracy in Poland.
Comment and Analysis
Apathy and Confusion
Catherine Lovatt
The opposition PDSR has taken advantage of a low turnout in the Romanian local elections.
Testing Hungarian Patience
Gusztáv Kosztolányi
The recent joint EU-Hungary resolution was upbeat, but fine words are no longer enough as Hungary demands an accession timetable.
The False Maps of Maskirovka
Sam Vaknin
Central Europe may now have accurate street maps, but the dissemination of misinformation continues.
Media Demythtified, Part II
Darja Zajícová
The origins of the blurred line between personal and political sympathies and objective reporting in the Czech media.
Debate
A forum for regular authors and readers to expand their views on CER articles.
The Union of Death
Sam Vaknin et al
An Albanian journalist bemoans shoddy Western journalism in reporting the region.
The CER / Blue Ear Debate
An e-mail based group to discuss CER articles on the BlueEar Forum. Sign up now.
CER Culture Calendar
News
AlbaniaAustria
Bosnia
Croatia
Czech Rep
Estonia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Mixed Nuts: An antidote to the news
Volume 2 Issue 24, 19 June 2000
Bloodless Coup
Joanna Rohozińska
Poland's ruling coalition is teetering on the brink of collapse, while EU accession hangs in the balance. What happened to Central Europe's front runner?
Balkan Hardcore
Alexei Monroe
Serbian Turbofolk generates paramilitarism and porno-nationalism, but is it just another face of Western pop culture?
A University of Their Own
Eleanor Pritchard
Despite political vendettas and an atmosphere of hysteria, Tetovo appears poised to become Macedonia's first private university.
Comment and Analysis
The Crescent and the Cross
Sam Vaknin
Part I of a series of articles examining the Balkans through their axes of friction; Islam vs Christianity and nationalism vs liberalism.
More Mayhem
Jan Čulík
In the ongoing soap opera that is Czech television, Roman Porok takes centre stage.
Go East!
Židas Daskalovski
EU expansion eastward is an exercise in subtle racism with colonialist undertones.
Hitting Back at the Bottle
Gusztáv Kosztolányi
Fighting substance abuse and stiff drinks in Hungary with a steady hand.
Political Football
Oliver Craske
Football and Central and Eastern Europe face off for column inches in the British media.
Media Demythtified, Part III
Darja Zajícová
In the last part of this series, we examine two telling examples of poltical influence on Czech media coverage.
CER Culture Calendar
News
Albania
Belraus
Bosnia
Bulgaria
Croatia
Estonia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Montenegro
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Volume 2 Issue 25, 26 June 2000
Sex, Lies but No Videotape
Gusztáv Kosztolányi
Mid-way through FIDESZ's term of office, mud-slinging in the media has become de rigeur, as both sides of the ideological divide attempt to claim the moral high ground.
Postcard from Tatarstan
Derek S Hutcheson
Our intrepid Scotsman reports on Tatarstan's enthusiastic voting habits.
The Buck Stops Everywhere
Slavko Živanov
Serbs, Albanians and the international community must share the blame for the messiest of Balkan bar fights: Kosovo.
Books
The Prague Conference
Edited by George Schöpflin
Reviewed by Marietta Stanková
A collection of essays musing on the effects of EU enlargement.
Comment and Analysis
Open the Door, Ostrich
Oliver Craske
In refusing to consider the bigger picture on migration and accession, EU politicians continue to bury their heads in the sand.
Caught in the Middle
Brian J Požun
In the past ten years, the Rusyns have twice been made victims simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Echoes of Joachim
and Vyacheslav
Mel Huang
Support for the Baltic states' NATO entry has come from both traditional allies and newer friends alike; Germany, however, remains noticeably silent.
A First Encounter
Sam Vaknin
Part II in a series of articles looking at Balkan frictions.
Dodgy Bankers
Jan Čulík
The recent sale of the Czech bank IPB has raised serious questions about its financial propriety.
Championship Politics
Catherine Lovatt
While Romanians may excel at football, their politicians are just not good enough.
CER Culture Calendar
UKUSA
News
Albania
Austria
Belarus
Bosnia
Croatia
Estonia
Germany
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Montenegro
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Mixed Nuts: An antidote to the news
Volume 2 Issue 26, 3 July 2000
Two Souls,
Twin Realities
Wolfgang Deckers
All German actions in the Balkans over the last decade have been shaped by the twin spectres of re-unification and the Nazi past.
Refighting Kosovo
Fatmir Zajmi
A prominent Kosovan analyst defends the legality of NATO's intervention in his homeland.
Deal of the Decade
Mel Huang
The closing of the privatisation deal for Estonia's two main power plants ends a mini-epic which began in the mid-1990s.
Theme of the Week: Cities
After the ReformWojtek Kość
New administrative regions in Poland have downgraded some cities, discouraging investment in them.
Where Time Stood Still
Sam Vaknin
Skopje, Macedonia, is a city of extremes, with an ethnic time bomb ticking away.
More Than Salami
Gusztáv Kosztolányi
Introducing Szeged, a completely balanced provincial city in Hungary.
Second to One
Brian J Požun
Maribor is striving to overcome its second-class status in Slovenia, and success is within reach.
Comment and Analysis
Why the Change of Heart?
Oliver Craske
Disagreements with France and Germany over the future shape of the EU lie behind the UK's sudden decision to champion Eastward enlargement.
Forging a New Kosovo
Židas Daskalovski
Albanian scholar Isa Blumi talks with CER about Kosovo's future and the forging of Kosovo's identity.
Mafioso Capitalism
Jan Čulík
More on the failure of Czech bank IPB and its links to TV Nova.
Books
The Political Economy of Post-Soviet RussiaVladimir Tikhomirov
Reviewed by Sam Vaknin
An exquisite obituary of the Russia that could have been and an indictment of the Russia that is and was.
The Arts
Bulgaria's Angelic VoicesDiane Strickland
The famed, ethereal sound of the all-female choir, Angelite, hits the UK
Debate
A forum for regular authors and readers to expand their views on CER articles.
The CER / Blue Ear Debate
An e-mail based group to discuss CER articles on the BlueEar Forum. Sign up now.
CER Culture Calendar
News
Albania
Austria
Belarus
Bosnia
Bulgaria
Croatia
Estonia
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Montenegro
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Mixed Nuts: An antidote to the news
Volume 2 Issue 27, 10 July 2000
Special Issue: The Baltics
This week, we bring you a special look at Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with dozens of articles and interviews exploring the amber corner of Europe.
The Amber Coast
Mel Huang, Baltic Editor
An introduction to this special issue of CER.CER Interviews
Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-FreibergaEstonian Prime Minister Mart Laar
Lithuanian Military Commander Jonas Kronkaitis
Shifting Party Sands
Nerijus Prekevičius & Terry D Clark
As Lithuania heads into parliamentary elections in October, the political picture and the party system are changing so rapidly it is near impossible to predict an outcome. But our experts give it a try.Progress without Protest
Aet Annist
Estonia has embraced the Western model, but despite the consequences for the majority of the population, there has been little opposition to the new status quo.The Ups and Downs of Musical Chairs
Mel Huang
As Estonian President Lennart Meri makes yet another change in the military's top brass, issues of personnel and leadership are thrown into further chaos.Calvin Klein and Communism
Artūras Račas
CK may no longer mean what it used to, but the Communist legacy and the Russian threat remain handy instruments for Lithuania's politicians.Changing the Rules at the Half
Mel Huang
Right in the middle of the general election campaign season, Lithuania has changed its electoral law. Has this episode turned the country into a bananos respublika?Reflections on a Revolution
Teri Schultz
A journalist's memories of the days back in August 1991 that changed Estonia - and her - forever. A look at that dramatic time from a unique and personal angle.Estonia's E-effort
Meelis Kitsing
Estonia seems to have the knack of the New Age: Internet penetration is much higher here than in many EU countries.Latvia Logs On
Arnis Gross
With Internet usage on the rise in Latvia, the potential for growth appears endless.Free Trade in Practice
Razeen Sally
The downside to Estonia's outstanding political and economic progress may well be EU integration.Rīga's Revenge
Artis Pabriks
Although Russia attempts to paint the Balts as pariahs trying to exact revenge, Latvia's true revenge is its democratic regime.Baltic Arts
Defender of a Small Nation
Hubert Jakobs
Livonian folk band Tulli Lum unites modern ethno-jazz with the cultural inheritance of an almost extinct national group.Baltic BeBop
Mel Huang
The Dainius Pulauskas Sextet is pushing the jazz envelope and gaining respect in both their native Lithuania and abroad.Baltic Beat
Bernd Jahnke
During the Soviet days, Lithuania was held to be the "jazziest republic in the USSR," and it has proudly remained on top of the jazz scene in the region.Pärt of a Wider Picture
Kurt Mortensen
The roots of Estonia's art music scene run deeper than just Pärt, Tüür and Tormis.21st-Century Schizoid Lamb
Mel Huang
Who said intelligent rock music is dead? Certainly not Latvia's progressive trailblazers: Holy Lamb.A Colourful Bird in a Pale Land
Howard Jarvis
Jurga Ivanauskaitė's writings on Tibet remain largely unappreciated at home, but fully deserve to reach an international audience.Baltic Basics
A collection of concise beginner's guides to the three countries of the Baltic coast:
Comment and Analysis
Uneasy Sighs of Relief
Oliver Craske
After the landmark case in the British House of Lords last week, will all Romani asylum seekers in the UK now be sent back to face the Skinheads in the East?
Five Percent Solution
Andrew Cave
Will the collapse of Poland's coalition further fragment the political right?
The Next Balkan Conflict?
Catherine Lovatt
Montenegro may be the next obstacle in the path of Serbia.
The Communities of God
Sam Vaknin
Before the 20th century, the Balkans was an area of religious tolerance, and faith played little part in conflict.
Two Souls, Twin Realities
Wolfgang Deckers
German foreign policy in the Balkans over the last decade has been shaped by the twin spectres of re-unification and the Nazi past.[Part 2 of 2]
CER Culture Calendar
News
Albania
Austria
Belarus
Bosnia
Croatia
Estonia
Germany
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Moldova
Montenegro
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Volume 2 Issue 28, 17 July 2000
Special Summer Issue
A look back at CER's first year of publication, with a selection of our readers' favourite articles.
