Serbs in Kosovo reject independence, Pristina's governance

Serbs living in northern Kosovo overwhelmingly rejected the state's independence in a referendum, voting against accepting rule from Albanian-dominated Pristina.

Serbs in Northern Kosovo rejected the fledgling state’s independence in an overwhelming vote this week. The vote indicates the frustration and alienation felt by the Serbian minority in Kosovo, which they see as part of Serbia.

A remarkable 99.7 percent of voters voted “no” to accepting rule from the ethnic-Albanian dominated institutions of Pristina, the Kosovan capital, with fewer than 70 ballots in favor. But despite the unequivocal result – reminiscent of a North Korean “election” but almost certainly fair – the vote is extremely unlikely to move this frozen conflict any closer to resolution. The Serbian government, anxious to move closer to the European Union, opposed the vote.

Continue reading at: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0216/Serbs-in-Kosovo-reject-independence-Pristina-s-governance

Romanian banks: turning a corner?

https://twitter.com/#!/andrewmacdowall/status/169450071895711744

(Blog for beyondbrics).

Eastern Europeans resourceful in face of record cold snap

Eastern Europe's cold snap has brought temperatures to 100-year lows in some places, but in many places, the buses are still running and people have plenty of canned goods.

BRASOV, ROMANIA

News of shocking death toll and whole regions shut off from the rest of the world by snow and closed roads and railways have dominated headlines from Eastern Europe in recent days. But even as officials struggle to respond to extreme temperatures, many people are forging ahead with daily life, fortified by years of experience and hot drinks.

Temperatures have hit 100-year lows in some parts of the region, nearing minus-25 degrees F., well below the usual level. The death toll across the region now tops 200 – roughly 30 in Poland, 22 in Romania, at least 10 in Bulgaria, and more than 160 in Ukraine, where many people reportedly froze to death on the streets. In Serbia, almost 12,000 people are said to be isolated, trapped in remote villages and farmsteads.

Continue reading at: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0203/Eastern-Europeans-resourceful-in-face-of-record-cold-snap

Croatia votes to join EU, but with great ambivalence

While support for Croatia's EU membership ultimately prevailed, enthusiasm was tempered by fears of giving up short-lived sovereignty and the impact on local industries.

Croatia voted in favor of European Union membership in Sunday’s referendum, showing that for most Croats, membership in the economically troubled union still offers hope of economic and political progress for the Balkan nation.

With almost all the ballots counted, the electoral commission announced that 67 percent had voted in favor of joining the bloc, with about 33 percent against. The result confounded recent surveys suggesting that the referendum would be very close. But an approximate turnout of 45 percent suggests that only three in ten Croatian voters are enthusiastic enough about EU membership to have gone to the polling stations to express their support.

Continue reading at: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0123/Croatia-votes-to-join-EU-but-with-great-ambivalence

Romania Protests Bring Long-Brewing Anger to the Surface

With anti-government protests in Romania moving into their second week, demonstrators are showing a persistence unusual for this part of the world, underscoring the symbolic importance they have placed in calling attention to their widespread grievances. The woes that have brought Romanians to the streets -- low incomes, corruption and rising authoritarianism -- are familiar to many in Eastern Europe. Indeed, the protests, which according to police estimates brought 13,000 people to the streets across the country over the weekend, follow similar demonstrations in Russia and Hungary, leading some to suggest that this is the European incarnation of the Arab Spring.

Tensions initially boiled over in Bucharest, where cars were set alight, shops vandalized and missiles hurled at the police, who responded with tear gas. Hundreds of arrests and dozens of injuries have been reported.

Continue reading at: http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/11232/romania-protests-bring-long-brewing-anger-to-the-surface

In Romania, protesters find voice after years of apathy

On Tuesday, Romania's government moved to reinstate a popular minister whose resignation triggered days of protests. Frustration over corruption and austerity has been building.

Protests drawing thousands to the streets and leading to violent clashes in Romania have brought years of anger about economic stagnation and official corruption to the surface. On Tuesday night, the future of the government remained uncertain as demonstrators continued to call for the president’s resignation.

The country of 22 million people, one of the newest, most populous, and poorest EU members, is undertaking a long haul out of its economic crisis, and austerity measures are cutting deep. The perception of a remote, authoritarian, and corrupt political and economic elite that has changed little since the days of Communism has exacerbated public frustration.

Continue reading at: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0117/In-Romania-protesters-find-voice-after-years-of-apathy

The European Project in the Balkans, Part II

By Andrew MacDowall

With the global spotlight focused on the European Union’s ongoing debt crisis, the European Commission’s recently issued reports on the progress Western Balkan countries are making toward accession may seem marginal. But for these nations, the achievement of EU membership is an essential goal. As the reports indicate, this goal is still a long way off, even in the best-case scenarios.

Continue reading at: http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/10475/the-european-project-in-the-balkans-part-ii