Europe Archives

POLAND: ‘Fight against Corruption’ Leads to Early Vote

As Poland prepares for early elections Oct. 21, the corruption scandal that brought down the government still poses serious questions on the state of the country's democracy.

UKRAINE: Divided as Ever as Elections Approach

By Zoltán Dujisin

Ukraine is again heading for parliamentary elections after months of power infighting.

GREECE: Disputes Return After the Election Intermission

By Apostolis Fotiadis

As he headed for re-election Sep. 16, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis addressed the nation saying that "the centre right New Democracy's (ND) victory is a clear message to move on with urgent reforms."

ENERGY-SWEDEN: Wood Cellulose – Alternative to Brazilian Ethanol?

By IPS Correspondents

The world’s car makers are racing each other to produce powerful new models that run on ethanol-based fuels for the booming Swedish market.

EUROPE: Slovaks and Hungarians Clash over Xenophobia

By Zoltán Dujisin

The case of an ethnic Hungarian student who claims to have been attacked by Slovak xenophobes has come to symbolise the persistent clashes that strain relations between two of the EU (European Union)'s most unfriendly neighbours.

HEALTH-ROMANIA: Few Listen to the Deaf

By Claudia Ciobanu

Three million of Romania's 21 million people suffer from different types of hearing impairment. But only about 10 percent of them get proper help.

FRANCE: Two Years After Riots, Little Has Changed

By Michael Deibert

The community in this Paris suburb is waiting keenly for transformation promised by France' new government.

CORRUPTION-RUSSIA: A Fight Easier Declared Than Won

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

A few days after his appointment as new Prime Minister, Viktor Zubkov promised to tackle Russia's biggest problem: corruption. But analysts have their doubts how far he can succeed given that corruption has permeated from the top to the lowest positions.

BALKANS: Hot Summer Takes Its Toll

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic

As rain falls and autumn approaches, countries across the Balkans are taking stock of the damage caused by one of the hottest summers in recent times, with temperatures in the 40s since mid-June until the beginning of September.

ICELAND: Hydropower Scheme Generates Heat

By Lowana Veal

Controversy is building up over a proposal to erect a set of three hydroelectric power plants and their associated dams in the lower Thjorsa river in South Iceland.

ROMANIA: GM Crops Unearthed, But Not Uprooted

By Claudia Ciobanu

Greenpeace has launched a major attack against production and marketing of genetically modified cereals in Romania.

ALBANIA: A Few Greeks Discover Their Neighbour

By Apostolis Fotiadis

Some years ago most Greeks knew Albania only as an unknown frontier. It was a country from which impoverished migrants crossed into Greece in search of a job and a better life; a place that people were leaving, where nobody wanted to go.

RUSSIA: Putin May Be Preparing Only a Political Sabbatical

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

The appointment of obscure politician Viktor Zubkov as new Prime Minister by President Vladimir Putin raises critical questions about the political successor to the presidency.

FRANCE: Sarkozy Hedges Free Market With Gov’t Control

By IPS Correspondents

Following nearly two years of squabbling, this month France’s national gas utility, Gaz de France, finally agreed to team up with the Franco-Belgian utility Suez, to create an energy behemoth with some 72 billion euros in revenue.

POLITICS-RUSSIA: Ahead of Presidential Polls Putin Gains Free Hand

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

It happened eight years ago when former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin ousted his cabinet and unexpectedly catapulted little known Vladimir Putin to the helm of political affairs.

BALKANS: Before EU Entry, Serbia Faces Return of Citizens

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic

Serbia is finalising the procedure for signing the strategically important Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union (EU) as soon as possible, but several obstacles are still in the way.

RUSSIA: Winter Olympics – Putin Warns Against Corruption

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

President Vladimir Putin has issued a blunt warning to heads of organisations and regional administrations involved with the preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia’s southern sea resort, to eschew corruption.

The Danube research ships at Belgrade port. Credit: Vesna Zimonjic

ENVIRONMENT: Getting Some More Blue Into the Danube

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic

The biggest river research expedition of the year is on its way to see if the Danube can be the Blue Danube again.

RUSSIA: Opposition Parties Face Hurdles

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

A presidential decree allowing political parties to engage officially in public campaigns for parliamentary elections has come into effect, but opposition parties fear they may not get adequate access to media coverage.

GREECE: Mobile Operators Break the Law

By Apostolis Fotiadis

The small black device that Panagiotis Vovos holds in his hands can measure the voltage produced by mobile phone network transmission antennas. It can detect voltages up to 7(Volt/metre).

MOLDOVA: Russia Holds On to Its Satellite

By Claudia Ciobanu

Moldova's Communist President has been trying to make the country more independent from both Russia and Romania. But Moscow's grip on the former Soviet republic remains strong.