N E W S M A K E R S:
Slovakia Becomes Boring
An inexperienced Clinton crony will soon become the new US ambassador in Bratislava. He is unlikely to be anything more than a smiling figurehead. This is yet another good sign that Slovakia has arrived.
Juraj Lisiak
P O S T - S O V I E T O R P H A N:
Belarusian Paradoxes
Belarusians are struggling to rebuild their post-Soviet economy, define their nation's identity and develop an understanding of their country's place in history all at the same time. To fully comprehend this society, one must also understand how its members operate in this unique community.
Peter Szyszlo
D E B A T E:
The Defence of 'Ethnic Hungarians'
Successive Hungarian governments have learned to paraphrase nationalist demands in terms of human rights discourse. However, while others talk of 'Russian speakers' or of 'German speakers in Italy', one only ever hears the term 'ethnic Hungarians' in Central European discourse. This is sadly obscuring the fact that there are no ethnic groups in reality.
Cas Mudde
D E B A T E:
Hungarians:
Different Yet Tolerant
For us Hungarians, the unshakeable belief that we are qualitatively different to others is expressed as ethnic difference, in other words, an irreducible given. Language reinforces the belief in qualitative, immutable difference, in ethnicity. It is the type of collective fiction that has been cemented into social fact. Still, Hungary is more tolerant toward minorities than most of her neighbours.
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
SLOVAKIA:
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; the people have become increasingly cynical about politicians and their promises. |
CULIK'S CZECH REPUBLIC:
No Pulse 99
Jan Culik
A new manifesto, Impuls 99, aims to save Czech society. Sadly, it does little more than fulfil the need of some Czech intellectuals to pompously pontificate in public. |
BALKAN ENCOUNTER:
The Solow Paradox
Sam Vaknin
If investment in information technology actually retards growth, then economies in transition should avoid it, at least until a functioning marketplace is there to counter its growth-suppressing effects. |
AMBER COAST:
The Other Brussels Target
Mel Huang
Despite the intense effort Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are making to increase their chances of European Union membership, there is another,
perhaps more important, goal which lies in Brussels: NATO. |
KALEIDOSCOPE:
Artistic Revolution
Vaclav Pinkava
Art and architecture in Prague. From the merely revolving to the downright revolting. |
A WESTERNER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE:
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. |
CSARDAS:
"No one's jamming their transmission..."
Gusztav Kosztolanyi
In this second part of our series on television broadcasting in Hungary, we examine privatisation and the scandals surrounding it. |
