What’s up Georgia? Vote to change election system takes political crisis to a new level, and Georgian doctor sentenced to two-months detention in South Ossetia

December 6, 2019 lossi36

– On November 8th, the premier of the co-produced Swedish-Georgian film And Then We Danced, centered on a love story between two young male dancers of the Georgian national ensemble, took place against the background of the protests from far-right groups, … Continue reading What’s up Georgia? Vote to change election system takes political crisis to a new level, and Georgian doctor sentenced to two-months detention in South Ossetia

News, Russia

What’s up Russia? Professor confesses to killing fiancee and Russians want more freedom according to new survey

December 5, 2019December 6, 2019 lossi36

– On November 4th, the former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev gave an interview to the BBC in which he said that nuclear weapons must be destroyed to “save the planet and ourselves.” In 1987, Gorbachev signed the … Continue reading What’s up Russia? Professor confesses to killing fiancee and Russians want more freedom according to new survey

Central Asia, Society

Murghab: post-apocalyptic scenery in the Pamir region of Tajikistan

December 4, 2019 lossi36

August 24, 2017. A friend and I arrive in Murghab, Tajikistan, after an eight hour-long drive full of tea-drinking pauses at random houses, helping broken cars on the extremely solitary Pamir Highway, and experiencing a headache caused by the 4000-metre … Continue reading Murghab: post-apocalyptic scenery in the Pamir region of Tajikistan

Central Europe, Society

The parade. Independence Day March in Warsaw 2019

November 27, 2019November 27, 2019 lossi36

November 11th marked the 101th anniversary of the restoration of Polish sovereignty from the German, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires. The most famous event of the day is the Independence March in Warsaw. An event initially created by the far-right organization … Continue reading The parade. Independence Day March in Warsaw 2019

Balkans, News

What’s up Bulgaria? Controversial new prosecutor general, and GERB hold on to power

November 22, 2019November 22, 2019 lossi36

– On October 22nd the European Commission announced that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) for judicial review in Bulgaria could be lifted because “the progress made [by the country] under CVM is sufficient to meet Bulgaria’s commitments made at … Continue reading What’s up Bulgaria? Controversial new prosecutor general, and GERB hold on to power

Opinion, Russia

Russia should have a look into Basic Income

November 14, 2019 lossi36

Since his reelection in 2018, most analysts argue Putin has focused primarily on internal affairs. He has pushed the Russian government on a spending spree, with a greater focus on infrastructure. However, allocating public money into what Putin calls National … Continue reading Russia should have a look into Basic Income

Caucasus, News, Russia

What’s up North Caucasus? Ramzan Kadyrov visits Saudi Arabia, and Ingushetia remembers the victims of the 1992 Osseto-Ingush conflict

November 12, 2019November 12, 2019 lossi36

– Several infrastructure projects are in realisation to connect Dagestan with the broader region. On the 1st of October, the Head of the Republic mentioned ata meeting of the Valdai Club that flights between Makhachkala and Iran are planned to … Continue reading What’s up North Caucasus? Ramzan Kadyrov visits Saudi Arabia, and Ingushetia remembers the victims of the 1992 Osseto-Ingush conflict

Central Europe, Politics

A very Polish scandal

November 6, 2019 lossi36

Since the right-wing party Law and Justice (PiS) won the Polish parliamentary election in 2016, they have made reforming the country’s judiciary a main priority of their political agenda. Officially, they want to root out the country’s communist legacy of … Continue reading A very Polish scandal

Caucasus, News

What’s up Georgia? Prime Minister Gakharia meets with neighbours, and accusations against the Church

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019 lossi36

– On his first international trip as Prime Minister, Giorgi Gakharia met with the heads of Georgia’s neighbouring states. On October 9th, Gakharia and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev agreed to reopen the contested Davit Gareji Monastery, which is located in … Continue reading What’s up Georgia? Prime Minister Gakharia meets with neighbours, and accusations against the Church

Central Europe, News

What’s up Poland? Olga Tokarczuk is awarded the Nobel Prize in literature and PiS continues to rule the country

November 4, 2019November 4, 2019 lossi36

– On September 20th, dozens of Polish cities were occupied by youth protesting climate change as a part of the international initiative “Thousand Cities March” organized by the Youth Climate Strike. Residents of cities like Krakow, Lublin, Poznan and Warsaw … Continue reading What’s up Poland? Olga Tokarczuk is awarded the Nobel Prize in literature and PiS continues to rule the country