February 12, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Shutting down an entire university due to breaches of fire regulations would sound a little harsh at the best of times. When the university in question is St Petersburg’s European University, however, suspicions are naturally raised – not least thanks … Continue reading
February 12, 2008
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
My big worry over Gazprom boss Dmitry Medvedev becoming president of Russia is his use of the country’s gas supplies as political weapons. Continue reading
January 18, 2008
by Nosemonkey
9 Comments
Monday sees the first round of the Serbian presidential elections – and they could well prove vital for the future of Europe. If power shifts we could all, to coin a phrase, end up exponentially screwed. But surely, you might … Continue reading
December 3, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
I mean, seriously. According to pretty much every opinion poll throughout his time in office, Putin has scored a 60-90% approval rating. He’s insanely popular in Russia, while the opposition – given considerable airtime in the West largely due to … Continue reading
November 18, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Russian elections: two weeks to go
And it doesn’t look good so far, the FT noting that Europe’s main election monitoring group said on Friday it was scrapping plans to deploy observers to Russia’s forthcoming parliamentary elections in a decision that could cast doubt on the … Continue reading
November 15, 2007
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
For a largely foreign policy-focussed blog, Gordon Brown’s offered little of any interest since becoming Prime Minister. He simply doesn’t seem to have much interest in the rest of the world, happily ignoring both the EU and the US for … Continue reading
September 13, 2007
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
So, is new Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov going to be the next President? After all, Boris Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin as Prime Minister (out of nowhere) shortly before the 2000 presidential election in which Putin took power. Is Vlad … Continue reading
July 19, 2007
by Nosemonkey
11 Comments
Well, now that the EU has lent its collective support to the UK’s efforts, and with Gordon Brown heading off to meet Nicholas Sarkozy tomorrow (where the Russia dispute will almost certainly be raised), it’s no doubt past time to … Continue reading
June 14, 2007
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Could be interesting (if by “interesting” you mean “one of the worst things that could possibly happen to Europe, and not too hot for Russia either”): “Mr Putin, so the theory goes, would not stand again when his second four-year … Continue reading
June 11, 2007
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
Since the initial expansion to 25 member states back in 2004, the future of the EU has been wildly uncertain. The constitution was supposed to sort everything out but, as we all know, that little project has failed dismally. For … Continue reading
April 27, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Chechnya – a(nother) crisis brewing?
Helicopter crash, 17 dead – all military. “Involved in a major military operation against separatist rebels at the time, Russian military sources are quoted as saying.” May have been “shot down” – no confirmation yet. If it was, expect a … Continue reading
April 25, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Presidential problems – France and Romania
At one end of Europe, the invective is beginning to rise again in the French elections, as today is the day third-placed centrist Francois Bayrou is expected to announce who – if anyone – he’s going to throw his support … Continue reading
April 24, 2007
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
Expecting insightful analysis about Yeltsin’s place in history? Sorry – my computer crashed again and ate that one. (And I’d been loosely working on it since I first heard the news yesterday afternoon and all…) Instead, have a couple of … Continue reading
April 16, 2007
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
The clock’s ticking, it’s still very tight, and deals are being proposed left, right and centre, important issues are being avoided, and the English language press is struggling to explain it all (and sometimes being deconstructed in the process – … Continue reading