Central Europe Review find out about advertising in CER
 CER INFO  front page 
overview 
our awards 
CER cited 
subscribe 
advertising 
classifieds 
submissions 
jobs at CER 
internships 
CER Direct 
e-mail us 
 ARCHIVES 
year 2000 
year 1999 
by subject 
by author 
EU focus 
kinoeye 
books 
press 
news 
search 
 MORE 
ebookstore 
pbookshop 
music shop 
video store 
conferences 
diacritics 
FreeMail 
Crowns 
papers 
links 
 MEDIA 
PARTNERS 

TOL 
IWPR 
Guardian 
Britské listy 
MediaChnl 
Blue Ear 
EurActiv 
Domino 

 

Central Europe Review: politics, society and culture in Central and Eastern Europe CER  Archives - 1999


CER's articles for the year 1999 are arranged below by date.

The archived CER articles for the year 2000 are HERE

Our full archives are also organised by:

  • Author for our regular contributors.
  • Subject in our Thematic Archives.

We also offer:

Plus, you can SEARCH all our articles for words of your choice.


Volume 1 Archives by issue:


Volume 1 Issue 1, 28 June 1999

Central Europe Review: Re-Viewing Central Europe
Sean Hanley, Kazi Stastna and Andrew Stroehlein
Caught between the post-modern West and the post-Communist East.

The Prospects for Schuster's Slovakia
Michael J Kopanic, Jr, PhD
Slovakia's new President.

The New Face of the Capital Markets
Dr Max Gutbrod
Post-crisis Russian capital markets are becoming clearer.

CER's Regular Columns

Lateral Thinking on the Meaning of Central Europe Today
Vaclav Pinkava
What is Mitteleuropa actually in the Mittel of?

An End to Violence?
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
The Hungarian government counts the costs of war.

Serb Proposals for Partitioning Kosova
Nexhmedin Spahiu
Three plans for partition all contain the same flaws.

The Emergence of Tartu in Estonia
Mel Huang
The Estonian world is becoming less focused on Tallinn.

A 'New Marshall Plan' for Europe
Catherine Lovatt
Is a 52-year-old idea the best solution for the Balkans today?

Ten Years after Communism: The great Czech malaise
Jan Culik
The Czech Republic is politically rudderless.

The Deadly Antlers of a Dilemma
Dr Sam Vaknin
NATO will crack in Kosovo.

Kinoeye

From East to West and Beyond: The Karlovy Vary Film Festival
Andrew J Horton
Sneak preview of the 1999 festival.

The Russian Soul Fights Back: Peter Lutsik's Okraina
Andrew J Horton
Film review and analysis.

Music

The Forgotten Avant Garde
Andrew J Horton
Soviet Composers Crushed by Stalin.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Selected cultural events in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe:

Baltic States
Czech Republic
Poland
Romania
Slovakia

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 2, 5 July 1999

Mitrovica Alarm
Nexhmedin Spahiu
The plans for partitioning Kosova in practice.

Theme of the Week: Minority Policy

The New Minority Language Law in Slovakia
Michael J Kopanic, Jr, PhD
The Slovak Parliament's impending approval of a bill in the shadow of Brussels.

Romania's Partial Progress on Minority Issues
Catherine Lovatt
Romania has been tagged as a shining example, but...

CER's Regular Columns

So, You Want to Study Law in Prague?
Jan Culik
The long-rumoured corruption at the Law School has been exposed.

Doing It Half Right
Mel Huang
The controversy in Estonia surrounding the reburial of Alfons Rebane.

Coda: So long and thanks for all the goulash
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
The immediate danger across Hungary's border is now gone.

Treasure Trove in Kosovo
Sam Vaknin
This is the real Balkan stability pact.

The Big Question
Vaclav Pinkava
Why do young Czechs want to join the Communist Party?

Kinoeye

Hamlet in Wonderland
Andrew J Horton
Miklos Jancso's Nekem lampast adott kezembe az Ur Pesten

Misty Melancholy with a Bovine Sisyphus
Andrew J Horton
Karel Kachyna's Krava

Books and Literature

Last Train to Clarksville
A Short Story by Cyril Simsa

Music

The St Petersburg Legacy
Andrew J Horton
A portrait of a city through its poetry and music.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Cultural events in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe:

Baltic States
Czech Republic
Poland
Romania
Slovakia

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 3, 12 July 1999

Theme of the Week: Women in Politics

The New Latvian President: Not a Moment Too Soon
Mel Huang
Gender was hardly an issue in the recent Latvian presidential election.

The Legacy of Elena Ceausescu
Catherine Lovatt
No one has ever really taken her place in Romanian politics.

CER's Regular Columns

Another Kind of Frontier Dispute
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Hungarians and the protests of Croatian farmers.

A Touch of Class?
Sean Hanley
Notions of class in Czech society.

The MinMaj Rule
Sam Vaknin
Minorities neighbouring majorities cannot get along.

Press Freedom under Threat
Jan Culik
A controversial draft press law before the Czech Parliament.

Without Prejudice
Vaclav Pinkava
Czechs and Roma

Iron Guard Revival
Catherine Lovatt
A revival of the interwar fascist movement in Romania.

Another Kind of Frontier Dispute
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
The Croatian farmers' blockade and Hungary

The Land Where Heroes Wear Dunce Caps
Tomas Pecina
Politics and privilege in the Czech Republic.

Slice of Life

A Year Away from Prague
Catherine Miller
One year ago, the Czech Social Democratic government took power.

Kinoeye

Who Will Take the Blame?
Peter Krasztev
Post-Yugoslav filmmakers create and family massacres.

Books and Literature

temptation
Prose by Ewald Murrer

Music

Zaum and Sun
Isobel Hunter
The 'first Futurist opera' revisited

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of cultural events in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe:

Baltic States
Czech Republic
Poland
Romania
Slovakia

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 4, 19 July 1999

EMU and Central Europe
Rob Smith
The first of a series of exclusive articles.

God's Land: Tbilisi, Georgia
Andrew Princz
A look at the wonders of Georgia.

Theme of the Week: Information Technology

Hungarian IT Past and Present
"Blade Runner"
The traditions and ethos of the IT sector in Hungary today can be traced back to the Communist period.

Surfing the Baltic
Mel Huang
As in most parts of the world, the Internet is booming in the Baltic.

CER's Regular Columns:

When Czech Fights Czech
Tomas Pecina
Czechs at home and Czechs abroad still cannot find common ground.

Romanian Economy in Crisis
Catherine Lovatt
Romania's economic woes mount.

Confessions of a Scum
Andrew Stroehlein
Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman's recent comments about the media.

A Concrete Example of Muddy Thinking in the Czech Press
Jan Culik
No wonder Czechs do not know what is going on around them in the world.

Lithuanian Parliament Fails to Clean House
Mel Huang
The failure to strip the parliamentary mandate of convicted member Audrius Butkevicius.

The Phlegm and the Anima
Sam Vaknin
Tony Blair was here in Macedonia a while ago, promising the moon.

Transitional Thoughts
Vaclav Pinkava
I am relaunching my column under a new name: "Kaleidoscope."

Kinoeye

Forget the Fascism - Give us the Schmaltz!
Andrew J Horton
Escapist films of the 1930s by Austrian and German directors

Books and Literature

Traveller's Literary Companion: Eastern and Central Europe
Edited by James Naughton
Reviewed by James Partridge
Book review

Music

Jazz in Lithuania - past and present
Bernd Jahnke
Lithuania is still the jazziest place in Central and Eastern Europe.

The Baltic Buzz: Jazz in Lithuania
Bernd Jahnke
Lithuania is known to be the jazziest of all the former Soviet Republics.

Lithuanian Jazz Discography
Antanas Gustys
A discography of some of Lithuania's most exciting jazz recordings.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe:
Baltic States Mel Huang
Czech RepublicKazi Stastna
Poland Donosy-English and CER staff
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 5, 26 July 1999

Theme of the Week: The European Union - Promised land or bad neighbour?

The Issue (#5): Euro-fatalism
Andrew Stroehlein
Public complacency is damaging the project of European integration.

A Green El Dorado?
Andreas Beckmann
Will EU membership mean a cleaner, healthier environment for East Central Europe?

A Step Backwards for Estonia?
Mel Huang
Why is EU membership important for Estonia at all?

Managing Macedonia's Future
Sam Vaknin
Macedonia's relationship with the EU will not change if the EU does not honour its promises.

Romania's Only Way Ahead
Catherine Lovatt
Romania caught between pleasant-sounding political guarantees abroad and economic chaos at home.

CER's Regular Columns:

Arranged Marriage with Aborted Honeymoon?
Tomas Pecina
Why is the Czech Republic considered the weakest link in NATO?

Blind Justice
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
The rule of law may very well prevail on Hungary on paper, but in practice it's a different picture.

A Hot Summer in Riga
Mel Huang
Aside from 30C temperatures, the summer has been extremely hot in Riga for other reasons - politics.

The Dark Clouds of NATO
Sam Vaknin
The Assessment of Environmental Impact of Military Activities During the Yugoslavia Conflict - Preliminary Findings.

Contrariwise
Vaclav Pinkava
Do bookshelves reveal national character?

Kinoeye

The Mindless Violence of the Anaesthetised
Andrew J Horton
Gyorgy Szomjas's Gengszterfilm is a dispassionate look at violence in post-totalitarian Hungary.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
Andrew J Horton
The world premiere of Djordje Milosavljevic's Tockovi "Tarantino-esque" thriller.

Books and Literature

Jako ptak na drate (Like a Bird on a Wire)
Martin Fendrych
Reviewed by Jan Culik
Book review of a work which speaks volumes about Czech politics, culture and society.

Music

Willis of Oz
James Lester
Portrait of Willis Conover: host of one of Voice of America's longest-running, most successful programs.

On Display
Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe:
Baltic States Mel Huang
Czech Republic Kazi Stastna
Poland Donosy-English and Joanna Rohozinska
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of
page

 


Volume 1 Issue 6, 2 August 1999

A Shadow Serbia
Ladka Bauerova
A conference in Bratislava has brought together members of the international community and Serbia's political opposition.

Twilight Zone or Dead Zone?
Slavko Zivanov
An alternative to Milosevic's autocracy exists at the very core of Serb society and always has.

Princess Diana, Al Fayed, the CIA and a Czech Spook
Jan Culik
Is the former Czech master spy, Karl F Koecher, connected with the grand conspiracy surrounding Princess Diana's death?

A Unique Minority
Micah Jayne
The Sorbs continue to thrive on the border of several Central European cultures and countries.

Theme of the Week: Television in Central and Eastern Europe

The Issue: Garbage in, Money out
Andrew Stroehlein
This issue of examines the role of television in Central and Eastern Europe in transition.

Screen Test: TV broadcasting in Hungary.
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
The first of a series on Hungarian TV examines the events leading up to privatisation and commercialisation.

Nova TV: Commercial success or embarrassing failure?
Jan Culik
Recent months have revealed the most dramatic and most comic chapter in the post-Communist history of Czech TV broadcasting.

Surviving on Schlock
Catherine Lovatt
Surviving only with the help of foreign investment many potential Romanian TV productions are lost in a sea of American leftovers.

CER's Regular Columns

Hitting the Bottle, and the Road
Mel Huang
High-profile incidents involving alcohol and well-known politicians highlight the problem that alcohol poses for Estonia.

I Undertake to Be Your Loyal Enemy
Tomas Pecina
Czech concepts of democracy remain only a slightly modified version of Marxist teachings on the class struggle.

Don't Read This!
Vaclav Pinkava
If you read this article and remember any of it, you will be breaking the law.

Macedonia's Losses during Operation Allied Force
Sam Vaknin
Unless donor conferences and foreign governments meet their pledges, Macedonia will be in dire straits indeed.

Kinoeye

The Horrors of Heroism: Wladyslaw Pasikowski's Demony wojny wedlug Goi
Andrew J Horton
Demony wojny wedlug Goi director cares little about the true suffering caused by war and nil about the people of Bosnia.

Boredom and Oppression: Alexandr Rogozhkin's Blokpost
Andrew J Horton
Rogozhkin's film focuses on the tension between Russian soldiers and the local population in the Caucasus.

Books and Literature

Daylight in Nightclub Inferno: Czech Fiction from the Post-Kundera Generation
Edited by Elena Lappin
Reviewed by Kathleen Hayes
Despite a number of shortcomings, this collection is a worthwhile addition to any library.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

Baltic States Mel Huang
Czech Republic Kazi Stastna
HungaryPaul Nemes
PolandJoanna Rohozinska
RomaniaCatherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 7, 9 August 1999

Slovakia Becomes Boring
Juraj Lisiak
An inexperienced Clinton crony will soon become the new US ambassador in Bratislava.

Belarusian Paradoxes
Peter Szyszlo
Belarusians are struggling to rebuild their post-Soviet economy, define national identity and understand their place in history.

Debate on Nationalism and National Identity

The Defence of 'Ethnic Hungarians'
Cas Mudde
Successive Hungarian governments have learned to paraphrase nationalist demands in terms of human rights discourse sadly obscuring the reality that there are no ethnic groups.

Hungarians: Different Yet Tolerant
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Hungary is more tolerant toward minorities than most of her neighbours.

Theme of the Week:
Homosexuality in Central and Eastern Europe

A Queer Taboo
Andrew Stroehlein
Since the fall of Communism, everything else has come out of the closet - why not gay and lesbian issues?

Gay Outlaws in Romania
Catherine Lovatt
With same-sex relationships against the law, Romania's attitude to homosexuality is decidedly puritan.

Being Gay in Hungary: A few facts and figures
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
The bare facts about gay life in Hungary and the links to explore further.

Kinoeye: Special on gay cinema

Cupid's Arrow Blunted by Bureaucracy?
Karoly Makk's Egymasra nezve

Andrew J Horton
A 1982 Hungarian film about lesbian love and the corruption of Communism astounded audiences on both sides of the Iron Curtain.

The Straight and Narrow Path: David Ondricek's Septej
Andrew J Horton and Kazi Stastna
With its cliche portrayals of homosexuality and cowardly approaches toward drugs and sex, Septej is a step backward.

CER's Regular Columns:

The Cost of Joining the Club
Michael Kopanic
The challenge for the current Slovak government is to convince the citizens that the present-day sacrifices are worth the price.

No Pulse 99
Jan Culik
Impuls 99, aims to save Czech society but does little more than fulfil the need of some Czech intellectuals to pompously pontificate in public.

The Solow Paradox
Sam Vaknin
Economies in transition should avoid information technology until a functioning marketplace is there to counter its growth-suppressing effects.

Artistic Revolution
Vaclav Pinkava
Art and architecture in Prague. From the merely revolving to the downright revolting.

On Doormats, Men and the Quality of Thieves
Tomas Pecina
Czechs seem to be measuring their living standards not by what they have but rather by what others don't have.

"No one's jamming their transmission..."
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Second part of a series on Hungarian television examining privatisation and the scandals surrounding it.

The Other Brussels Target
Mel Huang
NATO as perhaps greater goal then EU membership for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Books and Literature

The Grandmother
Bozena Nemcova
Reviewed by James Partridge
Babicka deserves its status as a Czech classic not nearly as well known outside the Czech lands as it should be.

One Third Publishers
Sampling of current and upcoming treats of a small press based in the Czech Republic.

Music

Rebellion at the Fringes
Wojtek Kosc
Over the past ten years, the independent music scene in Poland has undergone a major transformation.

On Display

Actions Speak Louder than Words
A review of Dan Puric's Toujours L'Amour
Catherine Lovatt
Using a mixture of music, dance and mime Toujours L'Amour delivers a humorous exploration of love and relationships.

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Last Week's News in Central Europe:

Baltic States Mel Huang
Hungary Paul Nemes
Poland Joanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 8, 16 August 1999

Bringing up Jews in Bohemia
Matthew Roth
A new generation of Czechs is turning to Orthodox Judaism and finding new ways to incorporate it into the traditionally secular Czech environment.

Confronting Jewishness
Peter Krasztev
Young Jews from the post-Holocaust "third generation" in Central Europe are reaffirming their Jewish identity.

Theme of the Week: Consumerism

The Issue: The Convenience Revolution
Andrew Stroehlein
Consumerism also has its positive effects. Paramount among these is the improvement of women's lives and ultimately their standing in society.

Hungarian Shopping Burnout.
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Even in Communist times, Hungary was something of a consumer society.

From DIY to a Service Economy in the Czech Republic
Vaclav Pinkava
Czechs are losing their inclination toward inventiveness as their DIY economy becomes a service economy.

Czech Freedom to Consume
Andreas Beckmann
"We have learned the freedom to consume very well." - An interview with Yvonna Gaillyova.

CER's Regular Columns

Latvia's Pension Tension
Mel Huang
No one doubts there is a crisis in Latvia's social services sector.

On Guilty Poems, Librettos and Photographs
Tomas Pecina
Shakespeare was lucky to have been English; had he been Czech, he could easily have ended up guilty of writing his plays under the wrong Queen...

Eclipsing Romania's Woes
Catherine Lovatt
Two Minutes and Twenty-Three Seconds
Superstition and science joined together for the total eclipse in Romania, as the country was distracted for a few minutes from its economic and political problems.

Czech Media and Civil Society: A survey
Jan Culik
The instruments of speech for the nation have been paralysed, and there is no systematic public debate about the most important issues of public interest.

The Bad Blood of Kosovo
Sam Vaknin
Was the Kosovo conflict a result of the legacy of Serbian history?

Special Report

Zelezny Pulls the Plug on Nova TV
Jan Culik
The conflict between Vladimir Zelezny, the licence holder of Central nd Eastern Europe's most successful commercial TV station, Nova, and the station's American service providers came to a head.

Kinoeye

The Dictatorship of Love: Viacheslav Sorokin's Totalitarnii roman
Andrew J Horton
Are Croatian women getting fed up with macho nationalism?

Cream Cake Nationalism: Snjezana Tribuson's Tri muskarca Melite Zganjer
Andrew J Horton
This film explores the authoritarian and paternalistic nature of both private and civic relationships in the Soviet Union.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

The Baltic States Mel Huang
HungaryPaul Nemes
PolandJoanna Rohozinska
RomaniaCatherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 9, 23 August 1999

Central European Security Issues through the Belarusian Prism
Peter Szyszlo
Despite debates the fact remains that Belarusian foreign policy revolves around the East, while paying much less attention to the West.

Ten Years Later
Slawomir Majman
Communist Poland departed amid the hum of office fans, the clink of spoons stirring sugar into countless cups of coffee and the rustle of ballots falling into ballot boxes.

White-haired Whiners?
Catherine Miller
Czech newspaper article condemning a recent pension increase has set off a ripple of public debate on the elderly in the Czech Republic.

Theme of the Week: Nuclear Power in Central and Eastern Europe

Lithuania's Nuclear Dilemma
Mel Huang
Lithunia must choose between maintaining self-sufficiency and potentially incurring the wrath of the EU.

Ghost Town: Chernobyl twelve years on
Andrew J Horton
Life in the 30km exclusion zone around Chernobyl still continues. CER interviews a film documentarist about his visit to the area to record the lives of ordinary people.

Forward to the Past
Andreas Beckmann
As Western societies are having serious second thoughts about nuclear energy it seems to be gaining its second wind in Central and Eastern Europe.

CER's Regular Columns

Charming Rascal or Arch Villain?
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Hungary's most notorious bank robber, Attila Ambrus, has fascinated the country.

Thick with Castles
Vaclav Pinkava
Visit some of the pleantiful castles in the Czech Republic might keep the elderly and infirm out of politics.

Ten Years After
Mel Huang
23 August 1989, some one million Balts linked hands and created one of the longest human chains in history.

A Singer in a Minefield
Tomas Pecina
Under Communism, few Czechs would even think of demanding courageous moral and political stances from their hairdressers, but such is not the case with members of the artistic community.

Ceausescu's Return
Catherine Lovatt
In a symbolic attempt to disassociate Romania from the Ceausescu era, many of the Ceausescu possessions have been auctioned.

Czech Public TV: The yellow-bellies
Jan Culik
In this second article in this series on Czech media and civil society, we see how politics and cowardice triumphed over journalistic standards at the nation's public television station last year.

Between Omerta and Vendetta
Sam Vaknin
The language of business in countries in transition is suffused with the criminal parlance of violence.

Kinoeye

Dreaming a Bad Reality: Rychle pohyby oci and the legacy of Jaromil Jires
Andrew J Horton
One of the most incomprehensible Czech films of the decade, this films relatively high profile derives from a Czechoslovak surrealist classic of the country's darkest days.

Books and Literature

Confronting Jewishness
Part 2 - Generating a Generation
Peter Krasztev
In this, the second of three parts, we will look at how selected authors view their Jewishness and how they came to this consciousness.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

HungaryPaul Nemes
PolandJoanna Rohozinska
RomaniaCatherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 10, 30 August 1999

Ready for the Chop
Rudolf Hermann
Poland's antiquated and inefficient farming sector urgently needs a drastic overhaul.

Nothing but Nation
Pavel Tychtl
Czech polititians seem to be curiously unwilling to work constructively towards EU accession.

Theme of the Week: The Political Spectrum

The Failure of Pure Democracy
Catherine Lovatt
The extremes of the Romanian political spectrum are crippling democracy.

Battle of the Vaclavs
Andrew Stroehlein
In Czech political thinking, left, right and centre are not nearly as important as Vaclav, Vaclav and Vaclav.

CER's Regular Columns

Post-moralism
Vaclav Pinkava
Blackmail is one key reason why morality, even in private life, does have something to do with public office.

UK: Central Europeans Keep Out!
Jan Culik
British bureaucracy, when dealing with foreigners applying for permission to enter the country, seems to be even worse than those in East and Central Europe, and it is encouraging Central European racism.

The Poets and the Eclipse
Sam Vaknin
Intellectuals in the Balkans exert no moderating influence on their societies; on the contrary, they radicalize, dramatize, poison and incite.

Kinoeye

Summer of Discontent:
Jan Hrebejk's Pelisky

Andrew J Horton
Pelisky is a socio-historical analysis of the end of the Prague Spring in 1968 as well as a humorous portrait of how acutely embarrassing parents can be.

Catching in the Rye:
Roman Vavra's Co chytnes v zite

Andrew J Horton
Documentarist Roman Vavra's 1998 feature debut, Co chytnes v zite was well-received but is more modest and less adventurous than Pelisky.

Books and Literature

Confronting Jewishness
Part 3 - Tradition and normality
Peter Krasztev
In this, the final part of this series, we will look at how these authors view the concepts of tradition and normality.

A Lovely Tale of Photography
Petr Nadas
This week, CER brings you an excerpt from the unique "film novella" A Lovely Tale of Photography from Hungarian writer Petr Nadas - a hallucinatory piece of prose-poetry.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

HungaryPaul Nemes
PolandJoanna Rohozinska
RomaniaCatherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 11, 6 September 1999

Strays and Stereotypes
Joanna Rohozinska
Stereotypes of Romania and Romanians abound. The most damaging is that they are a backward culture, simultaneously ignorant and corrupt, and that NATO and EU accession conditions will introduce a structure to overcome these flaws.

It All Started with a Picnic...
Paul Nemes
Glasnost and perestroika, did away with the only factor that ultimately held the Soviet empire together - fear. A key moment in the breaking of this grip of terror on Central and Eastern Europe was a picnic arranged on the Hungarian-Austrian border on 19 August 1989.

A Different Kind of Paper
Wojtek Kosc
Though nothing new, the meaning of "alternative press" has changed. It is no longer associated with politics, but has diversified to almost exclusively cover arts, literature and ecology.

Retribution in Kosovo
Natasa Kandic
Notes from Natasa Kandic, director of the Fund for Humanitarian Law in Belgrade, describe some of the difficulties in the investigation of atrocities perpetrated by both sides in the conflict and suggest the fate of many of the new disappeared.

Theme of the Week: One Year after the Ground-breaking Slovak Elections.

A Year of New Government
Sharon Fisher
If Slovakia does not receive recognition for its efforts - in the form of an invitation to first-round EU enlargement talks at the Helsinki summit in November - Dzurinda's pro-Western government could collapse.

CER's Regular Columns

Epizodiac
Vaclav Pinkava
22 years after his first blockbuster, George Lucas's retrospective Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace, currently the third (second?) highest grossing movie of all time, is opening in Czech cinemas.

On Czechs, the Great Myth-Makers
Tomas Pecina
Few nations have created so many myths about themselves as the Czechs. As with other national mythologies, Czech myths mostly concern the history and self-perception of the ethnic group.

Homo balkanus
Sam Vaknin
How does one respond to a torrent of belligerent correspondence from people in the Balkans, arguing against the belligerence of people in the Balkans?

Moldova: Barely a state
Catherine Lovatt
Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, politically unstable Moldova finds itself economically dependent on outside support and in a vulnerable position.

Kinoeye

Getting in Gear:
Janez Burger's V leru

Andrew J Horton
Slovenia is not noted for the high quality of its cinema. However, V leru (Idle Running, 1998) was one of the festival's more interesting films.

Chekhov's Post-perestroika Russia:
Sergei Sniezhkin's Cvety kalenduly

Andrew J Horton
Not all literary films are based on books or plays. Sniezhkin's film evokes the spirit of Chekhov and shows how little Russia has changed since his time.

Books and Literature

The Good Girl, 1970 and a Bit
Eva Hauserova
Overcoming Borders - both physical and mental.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

HungaryPaul Nemes
PolandJoanna Rohozinska
RomaniaCatherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 12, 13 September 1999

A Victory for the Media?
Marina Blagojevic
In ex-Yugoslavia, the media served to deconstruct commonalities and helped to create that matrix of non-negotiable differences demanding that "something must be done."

Special Report

The Czech Republic 1992 to 1999:
From unintentional political birth to prolonged political crisis
Andrew Stroehlein
with Jan Culik, Steven Saxonberg and Kazi Stastna
This is an extensive account of the first years of the young Czech Republic.

EMU: Why Do It?
Rob Smith
In our second article in the series, we address how EMU came to be the essential next step in the development of Western Europe.

The Wine Time
Jeffrey Brown
This is the time of vinobrani - the wine festival.

Theme of the Week: Environmental Movements.

CZECH REPUBLIC: A Quiet Revolution
Andreas Beckmann
Following the darkest days of the Klaus era, the Czech environmental movement is coming into its own.

RUSSIA: Working with Russia
John Massey Stewart
How much of the vast sums of money the West has poured into Russia been spent effectively?

ROMANIA: An der schoenen, braunen Donau
Catherine Lovatt
Once a thriving ecosystem, the Danube River has become a cancerous brown scar across Eastern Europe. Can anything save this situation?

HUNGARY: Where There's Muck There's Brass
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Hungary's now flourishing green movement has had only a relatively small impact and the primary reason for its broader acceptance is EU accession.

CER's Regular Columns

Fisheye Lens
Vaclav Pinkava
If immortality is ever invented, it will be on sale to the highest bidder. And the highest bidder will be the greatest criminal boss - someone like Stalin, no doubt.

Czechs versus Word-charm
Tomas Pecina
Some argue that of all the Central and East European nations, Czechs are most prone to be charmed by words.

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes ?
Sam Vaknin
The West keeps sending money East, and it keeps disappearing in a tangle of fear and corruption.

Nova TV: The saga continues
Jan Culik
The latest sad chapter in the unfolding story of Nova.

A Friendly Invasion
Mel Huang
Scottish football and Estonian independence.

Kinoeye

A Century of Dreaming:
Jan Jakub Kolski's Historia kina w Popielawach

Andrew J Horton
Jan Jakub Kolski's mystical and folklorish films stand apart from the general flow of Central European cinema.

Books and Literature

War in the Woods: Estonia's Struggle for Survival, 1944-1956
By Mart Laar
Reviewed by Mel Huang
War in the Woods tells the story of Estonia's "Forest Brothers" - the freedom fighters that took to the woods after the second Soviet occupation, which started in 1944.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

HungaryPaul Nemes
PolandJoanna Rohozinska
RomaniaCatherine and David Lovatt
Baltic StatesMel Huang

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 13, 20 September 1999

To Be a Belarusan in Bialystok
Wojtek Kosc
Belarusans in Poland are experiencing the effects of overt anti-Belarusan policies.

The Conquest of Pragmatism
Joanna Rohozinska
A new chapter in Polish-Lithuanian relations.

Manifestly Refreshing
Kazi Stastna
Two of "The Last Underground" organisers explain why there is little hope that such projects will become a regular part of the Prague arts scene anytime soon.

A Victory for the Media? (part 2)
Marina Blagojevic
The Serb and the Western media's construction of the Kosovo conflict.

Working with Russia (part 2)
John Massey Stewart
In this installement the problems of gaps and duplication of these efforts are addressed.

Theme of the Week: Environmental Movements.

CZECH REPUBLIC: The Big Yawn
Andreas Beckmann
Decentralization could just possibly bring big changes to Czech society - but who cares?

CZECH REPUBLIC: Not Just Prague
Andrew Stroehlein
Mistakenly, the Czech Republic is usually assumed to be simply Prague and Czechs, an urban people.

ESTONIA: The Emergence of Tartu
Mel Huang
Up and coming Tartu is challenging Tallinn's dominance.

CER's Regular Columns

Indiscriminate Visas?
Vaclav Pinkava
Who decides which Czechs will get visas to Britain - and on what basis?

The War of the Hypocrites
Tomas Pecina
The latest developments in Czech-Roma relations have put the Roma in a lose-lose situation.

Herzl's Butlers
Sam Vaknin
Europe is filled with small nations; there are two schools of thought in dealing with the thorny problems they create.

Mixed Czech Nuts
Jan Culik
After the news from the Czech Republic over the past few weeks, it seems hardly surprising that an increasing number of people are turning off their televisions, hiding their money in mattresses and voting for the Communists.

Running toward Helsinki
Mel Huang
Estonia may have jeopardised its position as a front-runner for EU membership.

Waiting for the Pay-back
Catherine Lovatt
Romania is still waiting to reap the rewards of its support of the NATO bombing campaign of Yugoslavia.

Oh Give Me a Home...
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
The number of people taking up mortgages in Hungary is increasing; however, the number of repossessions has reached epidemic proportions.

Kinoeye

A Deafening Silence: Ivo Trajkov's Minulost
Andrew J Horton
Among other contradictions, this film recreates the world of the deaf, not only through the use of plot, camerawork and editing, but also by means of sound.

Books and Literature

Colloquial Czech:
The Complete Course for Beginners (second edition)

By James Naughton
Reviewed by Neil Bermel
One of the mainstays of Czech language teaching and learning for the last twelve years has now been thoroughly revised and republished.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Culture Round-up

Poland's Week in Culture
Wojtek Kosc
Highlights of cultural events in Poland for the week starting 13 September 1999.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

HungaryPaul Nemes
PolandJoanna Rohozinska
RomaniaCatherine and David Lovatt
LithuaniaMel Huang
LatviaMel Huang
EstoniaMel Huang

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 14, 27 September 1999

Democracy's Disappointment
Pavel Tychtl
Central and Western Europe share a high level of disillusionment with democracy.

Czech Intellectuals and "Post-Communism"
Andrew Stroehlein
Czech intellectuals describe the post-Communist decade by relying heavily on historical arguments, avoiding the reality of Czech society.

A Victory for the Media? (part 3)
Marina Blagojevic
The Serb and the Western media's construction of the Kosovo conflict.

Working with Russia (part 3)
John Massey Stewart
This installment looks at stories of success and failure, and what can be learned from both.

Theme of the Week: Women and Feminism

HUNGARY: The Invisible Majority
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Contrary to the Cosmopolitan ideal marital violence and rape are still depressingly common.

REGION: Women on the Web
CER Staff
A list of important Internet resources on feminism in Central and Eastern Europe.

CZECH REPUBLIC: A Quiet Ascent
Dagmar Kotlandova Koenig
Czech women's remarkable upward journey through higher education over the last 100 years.

CER's Regular Columns

A Time to Laugh
Vaclav Pinkava
The resurgence of pub humour could be indicative of a continued economic slump.

The Honorary Academic
Sam Vaknin
Sad state of academia, plagued with cronyism.

More Moribund Manouevering
Jan Culik
Yet another chapter in the convoluted history of TV Nova.

Historical Regicide
Mel Huang
A new report suggests collusion between inter-war Estonian President Konstantin Pats and the Soviets.

Tolerant Transylvania
Catherine Lovatt
Transylvania proves not to be the hotbed of ethnic conflict that some predicted.

Kinoeye

A Fatalistic Feminism: Dorota Kedzierzawska's Nic
Andrew J Horton
Despite the rhetoric of Communism, gender equality has not been a feature of Central European life in the past.

Books and Literature

Women of Prague:
Ethnic Diversity and Social Change from the Eighteenth Century to the Present

By Wilma A Iggers
Reviewed by Kathleen Hayes
This is a book one can hardly put down and one that will be of interest to those who have no special knowledge of the Czech lands or of Central Europe.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Poland's Week in Culture
Wojtek Kosc
Highlights of cultural events in Poland for the week starting 20 September 1999.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

HungaryPaul Nemes
PolandJoanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
RomaniaCatherine and David Lovatt
LithuaniaMel Huang
LatviaMel Huang
EstoniaMel Huang

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 15, 4 October 1999

Pricking Havel's Bottom
Jan Culik
Interview with John Keane, author of an unauthorised biography of Vaclav Havel.

Turning Yellow
Steven C Johnson
Latvia's irresponsible press revealed in the wake of the recent pedophile scandal.

A Not Entirely Harmonious Success
Niall O'Loughlin
Just as everyday life has continued smoothly for Slovenians, so has the development of contemporary music.

Working with Russia (part 4)
John Massey Stewart
The investment into solving Russia's vast environmental problems has been notable. But has the money been spent wisely?

Theme of the Week: The Uses of History

REGION: Reckoning and Reconciliation
Joanna Rohozinska
The danger caused by the blurring of lines between history and historiography in East Central Europe.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Making History
Andrew J Horton
Czech directors have often looked to the past for their subject matter.

CER's Regular Columns

Living by Numbers
Vaclav Pinkava
The university degree has become a necessary prop without which you are a complete nobody.

The Doctor's Postbag
Sam Vaknin
with Emilija Geleva
Dr Vaknin defends his articles in correspondence with a friend, a government advisor in the region.

The Doctor's Postbag
Tomas Pecina
If Czechs want a better life, they should stop complaining and raise merry hell.

It's Never Too Late
Mel Huang
Age should play no role in the prosecution of the Baltic States' war criminals.

Fishing for a Marshall Plan
Catherine Lovatt
Romania has developed a programme which they hope will help bring stability and security to the Balkans.

Books and Literature

PROSE: Eva
By Daniela Drazanova
Czech-born writer Daniela Drazanova paints a bleak picture of one couple's emigre life in Cleveland.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Central and East European culture in the UK.

Culture Round-up

Poland's Week in Culture
Wojtek Kosc
Highlights of cultural events in Poland for the week starting 27 September 1999.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

CroatiaSasa Cvijetic
EstoniaMel Huang
HungaryPaul Nemes
LatviaMel Huang
LithuaniaMel Huang
PolandJoanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
RomaniaCatherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 16, 11 October

Trouble on the Island of the Blessed
Magali Perrault
The success of Joerg Haider is often imprecisely explained by the failure of the Austrians to face up to their role as Hitler's "willing executioners."

At the Second Crossroads
Sasa Cvijetic
The process of democratic transition in Croatia has been more complex than in the other countries of post-Communist Europe.

Democracy's Disappointment
Pavel Tychtl
Current Czech democracy suffers from a variety of shortcomings.

After the First Wave
Robert Smith
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in Europe looks set to happen in several waves.

Working with Russia (part 5)
John Massey Stewart
The investment into solving Russia's vast environmental problems has been notable. But has the money been spent wisely?

Theme of the Week: Health

Operation Successful, Patient Dead
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
According to a recent survey, patient satisfaction with hospital care seems to be in line with the EU average. But scratch the surface and you'll quickly reveal the crisis in the Hungarian healthcare.

A Meek Protest
Jan Culik
The recent Czech doctors strike was very mild, so much so that most patients hardly noticed.

CER's Regular Columns:

Modern-day Pirates
Mel Huang
Estonia is awash with pirates - pirates of music, video and software.

Ten Years after What?
Catherine Lovatt
President Emil Constantinescu controversially declared that the collapse of Communism "meant no revolution."

The Dance of Jael
Sam Vaknin
People feel cheated by their post-Communist systems. Envy is the central emotion.

Panoramic Hindsight
Vaclav Pinkava
People who do learn from history are condemned to watch others repeat it.

The Educated Poor
Jan Culik
The decline in the living standards of university educated people in the Czech Republic has been sharp in the 1990s.

Kinoeye


This week, Kinoeye examines the most recent film by the acclaimed Polish actor and director, Jerzy Stuhr, Tydzien z zycia mezczyzny (A Week in a Life of a Man, 1999).

What a Piece of Work is a Man!
Artur Kosinski
Stuhr, one of Krzysztof Kieslowski's favourite actors, directs himself in the leading role once again in his third film, a study of how the facade of success is riddled with the cracks of human fallibility.

I Made a Film About Weakness...
Lukasz Maciejewski
At the Kazimierz Dolny film festival, Stuhr spoke to the press about his latest film, its making and how his films stand relative to Kieslowski's.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Last Week's News in Central Europe:

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Estonia Mel Huang
Hungary Paul Nemes
Latvia Mel Huang
Lithuania Mel Huang
Poland Joanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 17, 18 October, 1999

SUMMARY OF THE NEW EC PROGRESS REPORT
CER Staff
Summaries of the European Commission's annual Progress Report as a whole and as it pertains to each country in the region.

Grinning and Bearing It
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
For Hungary European integration continues to be seen as the sole means of guaranteeing peace and prosperity.

Masochistic Murmur
Kazi Stastna
The negative EC Report only seems to be driving those in Czech politics and the media to sigh "We told you so."

Symbolic Meeting of "5+1"
Mel Huang
Estonia trying to unite the front-running EU aspirant countries before the Helsinki summit of the European Council.

Newslinks: Tory Threat to EU Expansion?
Nikhat Rasheed
Links to articles.

Newslinks: Brussels and Prague
Robert Young
Links to articles and resources dealing with Prague's lacklustre drive for EU membership.

Interview

A Different Sort of Dissidence
Joanna Rohozinska
Adam Michnik talks about Polish politics and the media.

Feature

At the Second Crossroads
Sasa Cvijetic
Examining Croatia's political parties and the political landscape on the eve of elections.

CER's Regular Columns:

The Czech Dilemma, or the Merits of Honesty
Tomas Pecina
In the Czech Republic the lesson of the past decade has been that honesty does not pay.

The Myth of Greater Albania
Sam Vaknin
Reality doesn't support the concept, or myth, of Greater Albania.

The Carpathian Godfathers
Catherine Lovatt
Local businessmen and mafia gangs have come into violent conflict in Brasov.

The Flutter-by Effect
Vaclav Pinkava
A short discussion of chaos theory, Czech fairytales and, in a roundabout way, Czech politics.

Reminiscing Revolutionaries
Jan Culik
Last week's historians' conference in Prague dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Velvet Revolution seems to have been little more than a celebratory feast run by victors.

Kinoeye

The Revolution Was Televised
Harun Farocki and Andrej Ujica's Videograms of a Revolution
Ray Privett
When Romania rose up against Ceausescu in 1989, the TV cameras were there to capture it all and now to be replayed.

Books and Literature

Two by Ewald Murrer
James Partridge
Two books by Czech writer Ewald Murrer, The Diary of Mr Pinke and Dreams at the End of the Night, are rather disappointing

Ewald Murrer: Five Poems
Translated from Czech by James Naughton.

Music

Bulgarian Folk
Sue Bagust
Professor Rice spent thirty years travelling around Bulgaria, collecting folk music and talking to musicians the result of which is a book and accompanying CD.

On Display

The Sixth Next Wave
Prague's Next Wave theatre festival
Catherine Miller
Nothing new at the alternative theatre festival.

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Poland's Week in Culture
Wojtek Kosc
Highlights of cultural events in Poland for the week starting 11 October 1999.

Last Week's News in Central Europe:

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Estonia Mel Huang
Hungary Paul Nemes
Latvia Mel Huang
Lithuania Mel Huang
Poland Joanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 18, 25 October 1999

More Aid, Fewer Strings
David M Kotz
A successful Western policy on aid to Russia lies with fewer, not more, restrictions on its use.

A Depressing Decade
Greg Nieuwsma
For the Roma, the ten years since the Revolution in 1989 have been anything but velvet.

Theme of the Week: Post-Yugoslav Culture

Vrooom's Torpedo Music
Robert Young
Mixing everything from cabaret to drum 'n' bass.

The Impossibility of Independence
Anja Susa
An analysis of the current state of Yugoslav theatre.

The Pursuit of Unhappiness
Ales Debeljak
Slovenia serves as an example of the necessity to develop a cosmopolitan attitude which is characterized by a reflection of both local cultural tradition and international codes of expression.

Erosion or Survival
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
CER talks to Alpar Losoncz, who lectures on and in the region about how Vojvodinian Hungarians are holding on to their culture.

Vignettes of Violence
Andrew J Horton
Post-Yugoslav cinema can scarcely avoid portraying violence given the country's recent history. Directors have shown varying attitudes to the subject, however.

Another Truth
Maria Vidali
Are the Serbs really the "baddies" of Europe? Recent documentaries challenge this tired old cliche.

Young Croatian Film
Ivo Skrabalo
Just when it seemed like the Croatian film industry would vanish altogether, a new group of young directors has brought a surprising wave of optimism.

Cutting It Short
Andrew J Horton
Yugoslavia's fragile industry of short and experimental films was honoured with two showings at the recent Raindance Film Festival in London.

Let Them Eat Cake
Hrvoje Turkovic
Further comments on Kinoeye's cake- and gender-analysis of Tribuson's Tri muskarca Melite Zganjer.

Focus on Fiks Fokus
Andrew J Horton
A talk with the art director of Fiks Fokus, an innovative Belgrade production company weathering hard times.

CER's Regular Columns:

The Mioritic Space
Catherine Lovatt
A look at poet and philosopher Lucien Blaga's attempts to define notions of "Romanianness" through a complex and mystical theory of cultural influences and collective unconsciousness.

Pigeons
Vaclav Pinkava
Are Czechs really a "dove-like nation"? And what is a dove, anyway?

Deflating Election Experience
Mel Huang
Estonia held its final elections of the millennium for all local councils on 17 October in quite an unspectacular fashion. As both politicians and voters remained burnt out from the hard-fought general elections in March earlier this year, the local elections seemed a bit of an anticlimax.

Race Relations
Jan Culik
Rather than indulging in hypocritical posturing, we should simply admit that Czech-Romani relations suffer from serious and complex problems, and these should be tackled from both sides.

The Myth of Greater Albania: From Illyrium to Skanderberg
Sam Vaknin
Part 2 of this series exploring the convenient myth of a Greater Albania and the real history of the country.

Books and Literature

Fantasies of Salvation
Steven Saxonberg
In his recent book Fantasies of Salvation: Democracy, Nationalism and Myth in Post-Communist Societies, Vladimir Tismaneanu tries to explain the rise of nationalism and anti-liberal ideologies by discussing the political psychology of post-Communism.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Hungary Paul Nemes
Poland Joanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 19, 1 November 1999

Ukraine: None of the Above
Sarah Whitmore
Ukraine's third presidential election offers twice as many candidates as the last one but even less choice.

A Scorecard for Czech Lustration
Kieran Williams
What has the controversial Czech lustration law achieved exactly?

Romania: Great Expectations, Slim Chances
Calin Cosmaciuc
Despite Kosovo's promise, it soon became clear that Western integration remains no more than a distant aspiration.

Poland: Deported, Scattered or Missing
Greg Nieuwsma
Though a scant two per cent of the country's citizens today, Poland's Ukrainians, Belarusians, Germans and Jews comprise a vital part of 20th-century Polish history.

Theme of the Week: Refugees and Migration

Overview: Shifting Borders, Shifting Roles
Pavel Tychtl
Today, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are key players in the Europe-wide effort to control migration.

To Be a Refugee in the Czech Republic
Carol Sanford
Stories of refugees in the Czech Republic.

Safe Haven?
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Asylum offered by Hungary to non-Europeans suffering persecution doesn't guarantee a safe haven.

Wronging the Roma
Catherine Lovatt
Abuse and discrimination have forced many Roma to leave Romania.

The Welcome Refugees
Paul Nemes
The West was rather more liberal in opening its borders after the 1956 Hungarian exodus than it is in most refugee crises.

CER's Regular Columns:

Flogging a Dead Horse?
Vaclav Pinkava
A controversial new statue in Prague speaks volumes about the current situation in the Czech Republic today.

Completing the Circle?
Jan Culik
Communists take the lead in the opinion polls a mere ten years after the fall of Communism.

The Myth of Greater Albania: From Ottomans to Americans
Sam Vaknin
The third installment of this history of Albania charts the decline during the Ottoman years and the partition at the hands of the Great Powers.

Kinoeye

Interview: Her Story, A History
Marta Meszaros's Kisvilma - Az utolso naplo
Andrew Princz
Marta Meszaros is is in the process of making a new Diary prequel, documenting her early childhood in Stalin's Soviet Union and the death of her father.

Music

Rock Estonian Style
Mel Huang
Throughout Ruja's 17-year existence, this groundbreaking band kept a distinct Estonian flavour and became the best-loved cult rock band in the country.

On Display

Frana Sramek's Leto on stage again
Catherine Miller
A recent performance of Frana Sramek's Leto (Summer, 1915) attempts to warm up the chilly autumn nights in Prague, but it soon leaves its audience snoozing in a torpor of soothing sunshine.

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Poland's Week in Culture
Wojtek Kosc
Highlights of cultural events in Poland for the week starting 25 October 1999.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Hungary Paul Nemes
Poland Joanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 20, 8 November 1999

Chernobyl in Slow Motion
Peter Szyszlo
In the first of a three-part series, we tally the current costs and looming dangers caused by the old Soviet empire's mismanagement of its radioactive waste.

Lessons in Democracy
Greg Nieuwsma
Slovakia, its minorities and the European Union.

Theme of the Week: Education

Teaching Morality
Robin Healey
In their struggle to adapt to post-1989 reality Czech universities have given very little moral guidance to their students.

Hungarian University in Transylvania
Catherine Lovatt
The debate about the re-creation of the Hungarian Bolyai University began in 1997, raising issues of national identity, ethnicity and minority rights.

Ljubljana University: Between hopes and anxieties
Ales Debeljak
Despite certain improvements, stubborn problems linger in Slovenia's university and educational system.

CER's Regular Columns:

Profound Disillusionment
Jan Culik
A recent survey has shown that Czechs are deeply disillusioned with their politicians and their political parties.

The Myth of Greater Albania: From King Zog to a brave new world
Sam Vaknin
The final installment of this history of Albania takes us from the scramble for power which resulted in the ascension of King Zog to the present day.

Kinoeye

Your Heart Is Beating Too Loudly
Andrew J Horton
Lev Kuleshov's Velikii uteshitel' has a curious place in film history due perhaps to the director's adventurous, and ultimately misunderstood use of overlapping plots and sentimental slush as means of satirical and subversive comment on Stalin's brutal brand of Communism.

Music

Arks and Labyrinths
Nicholas Reyland
At the end of the 1950s, Poland's contemporary classical music scene was transformed from neo-classical backwater to avant-garde frontier.

On Display

A photography exhibit on the Kosovo conflict
Robert Young
Testimonies of NATO War Crimes in Yugoslavia photography exhibit, held in the dilapidated Yugoslav Embassy in Prague's Mala Strana, leaves some sides of the story undisclosed.

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Poland's Week in Culture
Wojtek Kosc
Highlights of cultural events in Poland for the week starting 1 November 1999.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Hungary Paul Nemes
Poland Joanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 21, 15 November 1999

The Unbearable Lightness of Being an Intellectual
Sasa Cvijetic
After undergoing several phases intellectuals in Central Europe are afraid to exercise their critical role, often acting as courtesans serving the post-Cold War establishment.

Living in a Policy Vacuum
Maria Vidali
The exodus of Albanian emigrants to Greece has strained relations between the two countries, a fact not helped by the lack of concrete policies on either side.

Chernobyl in Slow Motion
Peter Szyszlo
Second instalment of our three-part series examines the effects of mishandling of radioactive waste has had on Russia's surrounding waters.

Revival and Struggle
Greg Nieuwsma
Although Hungary's Jews are enjoying a cultural blossoming, its Roma haven't found things quite so rosy. We continue our look at minorities in Central Europe today.

Theme of the Week: Cities

BERLIN: Building Homes, Building Politics
Juan Jose Gomez Gutierrez
After World War II, Berlin lay in ruins and extensive redevelopment was needed. The results on either side of the Wall were very different.

KATOWICE: A Tale of Many Cities
Wojtek Kosc
Poland's Silesia region is facing both the difficult legacy of its industrial past and the equally difficult prospect of its future.

PRAGUE: From Precariousness to Disaffection
Isabelle Le Rouzic
The homeless in Prague.

PRAGUE: Dysfunctional Decision-making
Andreas Beckmann
The 9 September adoption of a master plan that will guide development, has done little to resolve fundamental differences and will simply usher in the next series of battles for the city's future.

SOFIA: Saving Sofia
Paul Csagoly
Sofia's green claim to fame is threatened as parks are slowly being destroyed to open up space for commercial developments.

BUDAPEST: A Sustainable City?
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Sustainability is a fairly new concept and not just in Hungary.

Budapest's Second City?
Andrew Princz
On 12 November, Central Europe's largest multi-use facility to date opened.

An Interview with Jozsef Finta
Andrew Princz
As architect of the Westend City Centre and many of Budapest's other major real estate developments of the past decade, Jozsef Finta is the man shaping today's Budapest.

CER's Regular Columns:

TV Nova, the Health Secretary and Other Problems
Jan Culik
An analysis of some major programmes broadcast on Czech radio and television over the past few weeks clearly shows the principles by which the Czech media operate.

A Beginning, Not an End
Mel Huang
The collapse of the Wall was one of the most potent catalysts for the increase in activities of the Baltic national movements.

Is Transition Possible?
(or Can Socialist Professors of Economics Teach Capitalism?)

Sam Vaknin
Capitalism is more than just a theoretical construct, and this fact is a major impediment to the democratization of former Communist countries.

Kinoeye

Andrzej Wajda's Pan Tadeusz
Wojtek Kosc
Wajda's latest offering, an adaptation of a well-loved Polish literary classic, shows that he has not lost his touch with the passing years.

Books and Literature

Poetry: Marcin Swietlicki
Translated by Kirsty Hooper
Translations from Swietlicki's latest collection of poetry, Schizma (Gladyszow, 1999).

The 1998 Parliamentary Elections and Democratic Rebirth in Slovakia
Translated by Kirsty Hooper
Translations from Swietlicki's latest collection of poetry, Schizma (Gladyszow, 1999).

On Display

A photography exhibit on the Kosovo conflict
Robert Young
Testimonies of NATO War Crimes in Yugoslavia photography exhibit, held in the dilapidated Yugoslav Embassy in Prague's Mala Strana, leaves some sides of the story undisclosed.

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Poland's Week in Culture
Wojtek Kosc
Highlights of cultural events in Poland for the week starting 8 November 1999.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Estonia Mel Huang
Hungary Paul Nemes
Latvia Mel Huang
Lithuania Mel Huang
Poland Joanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 22, 22 November 1999

Hitler Lives
Anthony Ozuna
I saw Hitler yesterday on the metro in Prague.

A New Era: Macedonia's New President
Zhidas Daskalovski
The victory of Boris Trajkovski also means that Slobodan Milosevic has lost another battle in the Balkans.

Chernobyl in Slow Motion
Peter Szyszlo
The third and final installment looks at further efforts to deal with the problem of radioactive waste as well as new developments since glasnost.

Theme of the Week: Prostitution

CZECH REPUBLIC: Taxing the Professionals
Kazi Stastna
Dubi is no longer the roadside peepshow it once was, and state authorities are getting ready to tax the gals into oblivion, or at least out of sight.

HUNGARY: A Green Light to Red-light Districts
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
A new law sets out the parameters for the partial legalisation of prostitution in Hungary.

CER's Regular Columns:

Evaluating a Decade
Jan Culik
While the majority of Hungarians and Poles are generally pleased with their post-Communist lot, Czechs are divided equally on the issue of transition.

Latvia's Campaign against Democracy
Mel Huang
In the past few weeks the development of Latvia's political culture took an abrupt and disastrous turn.

Lessons in Transition
Sam Vaknin
What do countries in transition need to do to encourage outside investment? The answers are surprisingly simple.

Restless in Romania
Catherine Lovatt
Romania is gripped by strikes and public protests - and not for the first time.

Kinoeye

Night of the Fallen
Andrew J Horton
Fred Kelemen's Abendland. Bleak, sparse and uncompromising, Kelemen's third film continues his exploration of the lives of the dispossessed.

INTERVIEW: Hope Isn't Something I Deal With
Andrew J Horton
Kelemen is not ashamed to say that he finds the concept.

Books and Literature

REVIEW: The Life of Edvard Benes, 1884-1948: Czechoslovakia in Peace and War
Zbynek Zeman
Reviewed by: Richard Crampton
Zbynek Zeman is much too good a historian to fall into the vogue for Benes-bashing.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Czech Republic Carolina
Estonia Mel Huang
Hungary Paul Nemes
Latvia Mel Huang
Lithuania Mel Huang
Poland Joanna Rohozinska and Donosy-English
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 23, 29 November 1999

Apologists Rejoice!
Kieran Williams
It's no secret that Prague Castle has been on the offensive to discredit John Keane's new critical biography of Vaclav Havel. Unfortunately, Keane seems to have shot himself in the foot before the battle's even begun.

Clinton's Pep-talk in Sofia
Zhidas Daskalovski
On 22 November, tens of thousands of cheering people gathered in Sofia to hear Bill Clinton tell them "you too shall overcome." Why didn't he deliver the same message to Macedonia?

Reversing Xenophobia
Paul Nemes
Two weeks ago, the Hungarian component of the new "rainbow coalition" met for their annual conference to assess how the reversal of Meciar's xenophobic policies is proceeding.

A Decade of Change... to Come
Robin Healey
Czech universities have gone through significant changes over the past decade. They will need to go through even more in the next.

Taxing the Professionals (part 2)
Kazi Stastna
Czech social workers are having to face some of the industry's less glamorous aspects head-on.

Theme: Regional Lumping

Why the "Baltic States"?
Mel Huang
Over the years, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, have been lumped together as the "Baltic states." But why?

Nomen est Omen?
Sasa Cvijetic
There has hardly been a notion in this century as burdened by negative connotation as "the Balkans."

To File the World
Wojtek Kosc
The emerging system of lumping in Europe is becoming clear: EU on the one side and non-EU on the other.

Re-defining East and West
Catherine Lovatt
H J Mackinder's "heartland" theory has been used to explain the geopolitics of much of the 20th century. Did 1989 throw a spanner in the works?

A "Kidnapped Central Europe"
Magali Perrault
In many respects, the Austrian experience between the end of the Second World War and the collapse of the Communist bloc in 1989 is the reverse story - the tale of a "kidnapped Central Europe."

CER's Regular Columnists

A Fistful of Impressions
Jan Culik
Insights from talking to readers.

In the Wake of Broken Promises
Sam Vaknin
Will prejudice alone kill the Macedonian economy?

Kinoeye

An Obsession with Image
Andrew J Horton
Polish cinema has, perhaps, successfully out-trashed any of its Central European neighbours when it comes to low-quality film-making.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Estonia Mel Huang
Hungary Paul Nemes
Latvia Mel Huang
Lithuania Mel Huang
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 24, 6 December 1999

Chechnya: An Honorary Baltic State
Mel Huang
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have shown great solidarity with the Chechen cause against Moscow.

A Fractured Identity
Karen M Laun
The Lemko of Poland

Post-Com Pre-fab
Paul Csagoly
The housing development in Central and Eastern Europe.

Czech Protest, December 1999

Jan Culik
The problem is that the current student protest is quite vague.

Kazi Stastna
Sappy, romantic and pitifully nationalistic.

Andrew Stroehlein
Czech politicians generally ignore petitions.

Letter

Too Clever by Half
John Keane
Professor Keane replies to Kieran Williams's extensive critique of his new book on Vaclav Havel.

Theme: The Upcoming Helsinki Conference

Enlargement and Hungary
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
Last week's resolution in the European Parliament addresses a pragmatic agenda, restoring a sense of proportion to the run up to Helsinki.

All Green for Polish Accession?
Randy M Mott
What might be needed is a more systematic, transparent approach with greater public involvement.

CER's Regular Columnists

Political Turmoil in Moldova
Catherine Lovatt
Moldova is a state hounded by instability and infighting.

The Caveman and the Alien
Sam Vaknin
The West's two-faced approach to corruption in the East.

Kinoeye

A Fascinating Trickle
Andrew J Horton
Although the number of films released is only a trickle, interest in the cinema of the two Romance language countries of Central Europe is increasing.

Books and Literature

Hungarians Read Their Way To Success
Carolyn Chapman
The Hungarian publishing industry has undergone a complete transformation in the past ten years.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Polish Cultural Review
Wojtek Kosc
Events and exhibitions in Poland.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Estonia Mel Huang
Hungary Paul Nemes
Latvia Mel Huang
Lithuania Mel Huang
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page

 


Volume 1 Issue 25, 13 December 1999

EUROPE: Return to Helsinki
Martin D Brown
The Helsinki let down.

ENVIRONMENT: From Puppet Master to Listless Puppet
Andreas Beckmann
Who continues to care aboud the environment in the Czech Republic.

POLAND: The Pro-Government Church
Mariusz Janicki
The Catholic Church is balancing between its support of the government and the discontented.

Slice of Life

Postcard from Ul'yanovsk
Derek S Hutcheson
Travelogue .

Letters

Pulp Faction
Kieran Williams
Kieran Williams answers his critic and continues to wait for answers.

On Cavemen and Aliens
Susan Smolens
Sam Vaknin's article last week was spot on: one can only be cynical of the West's intentions in the East.

Theme: The Year

Hungarian Hopes
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
1999 in Hungary proved to be a year where history was made as well as commemorated and celebrated.

Croatia's Crossroads
Sasa Cvijetic
At the end of 1999, Croatia finds itself with neither a President nor a Parliament.

Baltic Rollercoaster
Mel Huang
From significant political shifts and economic collapse to EU hopes and regional pork wars, 1999 was an eventful year in the Baltics.

Romania's Hardships
Catherine Lovatt
Despite economic collapse, political instability and civil unrest not everything is negative.

Success Abroad, Questions at Home
Michael J Kopanic
For Dzurinda's coalition to be strong over the next few years, his team will have to overcome much higher hurdles on the domestic front.

Czech Republic: Rising Discontent
Jan Culik
With the economy bordering on crisis and politicians incapable of fixing the country's problems, the Czech public became increasingly discontent throughout 1999.

CER's Regular Columnists

Schengen's Iron Curtain
Zhidas Daskalovski
The EU's Schengen agreement, however, has created a barrier as effective as the Iron Curtain ever was.

The Magla Vocables
Sam Vaknin
For the residents of former Communist countries speech is a method of establishing distance and fending off communication and contact.

The Elders of Zion
Sam Vaknin
Anti-Semitism is only one species in the zoo of rumours, conspiracy theories and meta histories.

Kinoeye

INTERVIEW: Young Hungarian Cinema:
"We are working on it"

Andrew J Horton
CER talked to the young Hungarian director Csaba Bollok.

Hungary's New Waves
Andrew J Horton
Hungary has, perhaps, the strongest cinematic tradition of all Central European countries. Has it produced any masterpieces this decade? Does it even matter?

Books and Literature

Intellectuals and Politics in Central Europe
Sean Hanley
Intellectuals and Politics in Central Europe, provides uneven coverage of a variety of themes and cases, juxtaposing insightful analysis with potted history and abstruse theorising.

REVIEW: Everyday Stalinism
Joanna Rohozinska
Review of Sheila Fitzpatrick's latest contribution to Soviet social history.

On Display

Coming Up in the UK
Andrew J Horton
Details of selected Central and East European cultural events in the UK over the next few weeks.

Last Week's News in Central Europe

Austria Magali Perrault
Croatia Sasa Cvijetic
Estonia Mel Huang
Hungary Paul Nemes
Latvia Mel Huang
Lithuania Mel Huang
Poland Joanna Rohozinska and Donosy English
Romania Catherine and David Lovatt

Return to top of page