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Monday, May 4, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
SLOVAKIA: Government-Media War Escalates
In the midst of a war between government and the media, a new and controversial press bill will force media outlets to publish anyone's reactions to articles considered offensive.HUNGARY: Reform Drive Hits a Wall
The introduction of some of the most wide-ranging austerity measures in the recent history of Central-Eastern Europe is forcing Hungarians to endure a period of hardships, but an opposition-initiated referendum and the resistance of the middle classes are endangering the socialist government's plans.CZECH REPUBLIC: Corruption Returns to Haunt Government
Former deputy prime minister Jiri Cunek intends to return to his post in spite of public rejection of the alleged corruption scandals involving him.CHALLENGES 2007-2008: Cracks Widen in East Europe
Ideological issues, corruption and populism pervade the political culture of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland at a time when both economic reform and an improvement in living standards are being promised to bridge the gap with the West.POLAND: Facing War Crimes in Afghanistan
Poland has woken up to the possibility that its troops in Afghanistan were involved in a war crime against defenceless civilians.SLOVAKIA: Governance Gets Ever Messier
The disputes within Slovakia's governing coalition have almost caused the government's collapse. Additional trouble can be expected, but the powerful Prime Minister's extraordinary popularity and the weakness of the opposition are holding the coalition together.UKRAINE: The Orange Look Gets Another Chance
With the appointment of Yuliya Timoshenko as Prime Minister of Ukraine, the pro-Western 'Orange' forces have been granted a second opportunity to prove that their political programme is stronger than narrow power ambitions.CZECH REPUBLIC: More Loyal Than…
A report by U.S. intelligence services minimising the Iranian threat has meant another embarrassment for Czech politicians supportive of U.S. plans to set up a radar base in Central-Eastern Europe.UKRAINE: At Odds with Russia over “Genocide”
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has been spearheading the country's efforts to see the world recognise Ukraine's 1932-1933 famine as an "act of genocide against the Ukrainian people." Russia begs to disagree.CZECH REPUBLIC: US Radar Provokes PR War
The Czech government has begun an 890,000-dollar information campaign supporting the U.S. plan to set up a radar station in the Czech Republic. Opponents of the plan - led by the Social Democrats - want some of that money to fund alternative information campaigns so as to create an actual debate on the issue and prepare the population for the possibility of a referendum.UKRAINE-RUSSIA: Gloomy Prospects for Black Sea
The recent spill of more than 1,000-tonnes of fuel oil into the Black Sea could have severe long-term environmental consequences say ecologists, stressing that authorities are busy trading accusations instead of stepping up cleaning efforts.POLAND: Gov’t Vows Socially Conscious Liberalism
Prime Minister Donald Tusk's newly formed cabinet in Warsaw has promised a new Poland in the wake of two years of staunch conservatism, but his party’s liberal enthusiasm will have to adapt to pragmatic considerations.CZECH REPUBLIC: US-Russia At Impasse on Radar
The U.S. proposal to set up an anti-missile defence system in Eastern Europe has drawn the Czech Republic into a high-level diplomatic debate between Moscow and Washington for which they may not be fully prepared.POLAND: It’s Hard Saying Even Goodbye to Iraq
Leaving Iraq will prove harder than going in, especially as Warsaw's new government's decision comes amid deadly attacks against Polish interests in Iraq.CZECH REPUBLIC: The March that Never Was
A failed neo-Nazi march in Prague's old Jewish town has been the object of hyped media attention at a time of growing interest in right-wing extremism in formerly communist Central and Eastern Europe.CZECH REPUBLIC: Corruption Catches Anti-Roma Minister
Two corruption scandals were too much for Jiri Cunek, the conservative minister who gained fame and power for his uncompromising views on the Roma.EUROPE: Schengen Brings East Closer to Europe
Along the railway station in Csop, Ukraine, home to a substantial Hungarian-speaking community, shops and stores for various goods have sprung up, and the town's main streets and buildings look fresher and newer than is the norm in inland Ukraine.POLAND: Friendlier Days with Neighbours Appear
The change of government in Poland heralds a new era in its cooperation with the European Union, and changes are also expected in Warsaw's policies towards both Russia and the United States.CORRUPTION: Little Check on Czechs
Corruption remains a key - and unresolved - issue in the Czech Republic's moves to reach the standards of Western Europe.UKRAINE: Westwards, But Not Much More
Ukraine's opposition forces have reached a coalition agreement that will give the populist Yuliya Timoshenko the post of Prime Minister. Foreign policy might change, but realism will prevail.CZECH REPUBLIC: A Century of Welfare Nears Its End
The reforms proposed by the governing coalition in the Czech Republic could dismantle not only the most successful welfare state in the post-communist region, but also break a long tradition of social solidarity in a country that boasts the lowest poverty rate in Europe.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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