Latest posts
EU sponsored education on the Danube Delta
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A short entry today owing to technical issues and my woeful IT skills which manage to lose a fair amount of pending material, including what had been written yesterday for publishing today. Anyway, I have written here and here about the quite b...
Insuring failure – Ukrainian opposition
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Now if you happen to be the opposition – ergo the minority – in any parliament, it goes without saying that getting the laws you support passed – or those you are against to fail – requires party discipline to insure the maxim...
But what if the Association Agreement gets signed?
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Much has been said and written about the EU-Ukrainian Association Agreement and DCFTA. Much has been said and written about how it would necessarily anchor Ukrainian policy within the EU normative. Much has been said and written about whe...
A day with the “Beeb”
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A very short entry today as I have spent the day filming with the BBC talking drug and human trafficking, smuggling and counterfeit goods in Odessa – naturally I will eagerly await my BAFTA nomination! So having spent the day talking traffickin...
The symbolic signing of nothing special
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There is much to be said for symbolism. It can be inspiring, it can be unifying, it can be a moment of hope or defiance that ignites the courage of others – in short, it can have impact. It can also be completely empty of meaning, condescending...
Asylum, Schengen and proportional representation
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Now here is an interesting little story – somewhat comical to a degree – which leads nicely into Ukrainian voting systems. Andriy Shkil, a former Batkivshchnya (BYuT) MP of the previous parliament, has been refused asylum by the Czech Rep...
A mixed day for the Ukrainian Ministry of Health
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A day of contrasts for the Ukrainian Ministry of Health on Wednesday – albeit one with symptoms that runs through the current government. Firstly and in a move lauded by Human Rights Watch, the decision to approve easier access and dispensing o...
European Commission takes the next step in allowing for Ukrainian Association
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Not at all surprisingly, on Wednesday 15th May, the European Commission took the necessary steps to draw up the documentation allowing for the Commission and Member States to sign the Association Agreement (and DCFTA) during the Vilnius Summit i...
Transparency in political fortune – Bill 2837
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It is and has never been a secret that Ukrainian politicians have always, and still do, see politics as a way not only of insuring the retention of their personal interests against others who may like the look of them, but also to use their position...
A Tymoshenko case dropped?
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Apparently, although I have yet to be able to confirm it via non-Batkivshchnya Party channels, the case against Yulia Tymoshenko relating to involvement in the murder of Yevhen Scherban that occurred in 1996, has been quietly dropped – effectiv...
Klitschko talks of time running out and personal sanctions
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Only a few days ago, I mentioned a statement from Stefan Fule relating to no time extension for Ukraine to meet EU expectations in November. As I stated, despite the bullish tone, this has far more to do with the European political calendar prev...
Democracy, tolerance and habit – The Ternopil Incident
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We often read about democracy through the lenses freedom of speech/expression, rule of law, human rights, or free and fair elections, or political responsiveness to the public, accountability, transparency etc - and rightly so – they are...
No deadline extension for Ukraine – Fule
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Yesterday, Stefan Fule EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Nighbourhood Policy, clearly stated that the EU will not extend the time it has given for Ukraine to address the issues of serious concern to the EU when it comes to the signing – or no...
ECfHR Tymoshenko Ruling
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Since the European Court for Human Rights (ECfHR) released its first ruling (which is not final for 3 months from its announcement to allow for any appeals) on 30th April, both her supporters and detractors have been making some rather flexible inter...
$40 Billion annual road maintenance budget – Ukraine
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The current budget for road maintenance in Ukraine sits at $16.9 billion – which sounds, and indeed is, a lot of money – and yet the state of Ukrainian roads resembles something like those of Berlin circa 1945 after the 363 air raids to w...
Ukraine – An energy hub – Be careful what you wish for
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On Friday 3rd May, whilst I was enjoying my time off in the Odessa sunshine and taking in the beach life, Ukrainian Energy Minister Eduard Stavytsky had a meeting with the EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger (as well as Royal Dutch Shell and Exx...
Ukrainian EU perceptions
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Nicely timed for my return to the blog after a week off, Eurobarometer has just released some survey results relating to the extent to which Ukrainians would like further EU involvement in Ukrainian affairs. 76% would like greater EU involvement in e...
Tea – A Course in Culture: A Review of The Tea House Times
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A man who wishes to make his way in life could do no better than go through the world with a boiling tea-kettle in his hand. – Syndey Smith Next to water, tea is the most common beverage in the world. Beer comes in third, coffee a distant...
I’m having a week off!
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Having written almost daily for the past 5 years, I feel it is time to have a week off – partly because of circumstances beyond my control, due to my participation in a discussion of the “Dark Side of Civil Society” – an...
An aligning of the planets? Tymoshenko
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Recently I seem to have mentioned the circus that is and surrounds Yulia Tymoshenko far more than normal. That is perhaps understandable given some EU leaders insistence upon her release to guarantee the signing of the EU/Ukraine Association Agreemen...
