Two Decades after Czechoslovakia: A Belated Requiem    31 December 2012

To read more about the experiences my family and I have had with Czechoslovakia in its various forms, click here.

A New Year Tradition: The Vienna Philharmonic  30-31 December 2012 & 1 January 2013

Central European Observer wishes all our readers the best for 2013!

Be sure to tune in to your local PBS station for the annual New Year's celebration with the Vienna Philharmonic under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst and with Julie Andrews as the host. It will air live on Tuesday, January 1 at 2.30 pm EST with an repeat performance that evening at 8.00 pm.  In keeping with the Viennese tradition, be prepared to clap when the orchestra plays the Radetzky March by Johann Strauss (the elder).  Check your local listings at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/from-vienna-the-new-year%E2%80%99s-celebration-2013/about-the-concert/1478/.

Russia's New Borei Class Submarine    30 December 2012

Russia today commissioned its first submarine of the Borei class, a second is undergoing tests, a third has been launched and will begin testing, and a fourth is being built.  All told, the Russians expect to commission ten submarines in the Borei class.  They are virtually noiseless, are equipped with missiles that can evade any current defense system, can remain submerged for three months, and have an escape pod for the entire crew.  For more information, including pictures of the submarine, see http://rt.com/news/russian-noiseless-borei-submarine-106/.

USGS Identifies Three Missing Russian Crown Jewels    30 December 2012

Researchers at the US Geological Survey discovered two books in their collection that raised questions about four crown jewels from the Russia's Romanov dynasty that apparently had been forgotten.  The researchers accounted for one, but it along with three other pieces that appeared in a 1922 publication do not appear in a 1925 book, even though both books were to have been complete inventories.  For more information, see the NPR report at http://www.npr.org/2012/12/30/168219426/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-the-russian-crown-jewels?ft=3&f=1001&sc=nl&cc=nh-20121230.  The USGS article at http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/tracking-the-story-of-the-russian-crown-jewels/ includes more information and a link to a podcast that shows images of the two books.

Statue of Hitler Praying in Warsaw Causes Controversy    28 December 2012

A statue in the former Jewish ghetto in Warsaw of Adolf Hitler kneeling in prayer by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan is causing some controversy.  Many agree with the organizers of the exhibition that it provokes people to think about evil, but some, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center, think that an image of Hitler in the former ghetto is provocative and insulting.  For the AP story, see http://news.yahoo.com/praying-hitler-ex-warsaw-ghetto-sparks-emotion-161124083.html.

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Russia Bans American Adoptions    28 December 2012

In retaliation for the Magnitsky Act that prevents certain Russians from entering the United States because of their alleged involvement in human rights abuse, the Russian government has passed legislation preventing American couples from adopting Russian children.  Putin has signed the legislation into law.  See NPR's coverage at http://www.npr.org/2012/12/28/168178292/russias-putin-signs-controversial-adoption-bill?ft=3&f=1001&sc=nl&cc=nh-20121228.

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Florida Historians Take on Their State's Governor    24 December 2012

Recently, a task force that Florida's governor, Rick Scott, appointed recommended keeping tuition for STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) low but allowing increases for the humanities and social sciences.  Discussions about the lack of fairness to the proposal, the efforts of the state government to conduct an experiment in social engineering through education restrictions (ironically, the Republican-controlled administration of the state criticizes the federal government for its interference), and the value and meaning of a liberal arts education are intensifying in the state.  Furthermore, historians at the state's universities began a petition that criticizes the proposal.  A summary of the debate appears in the History News Network article http://hnn.us/articles/florida-historians-standing-rick-scott.  The petition through Change.org is available at https://www.change.org/petitions/governor-rick-scott-protect-higher-education-in-florida.  See the earlier entry on this topic here.  Readers should note that academic freedom enshrined in the tenure system enables the professors to speak out and sign the petition.

Democracy Rankings: USA at Fifteenth Place    24 December 2012

Democracy Ranking Association, a group of academics based in Vienna, Austria, has ranked countries based on their democratic qualities.  The top five are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, and Denmark--four out of the five being Nordic countries.  Austria is in the tenth slot, while Canada eleventh, the United Kingdom is thirteenth, and the United States is fifteenth, down one point from the 2007-2008 score.  The Czech Republic is twenty-seventh, and Slovakia is thirty-fourth.  Other countries Central Europe, the Balkans, and Eastern Europe are: Slovenia (19), Estonia (25), Poland (30), Lithuania (31), Greece (32), Latvia (33), Croatia (35), Hungary (36), Bulgaria (41), Romania (42), Albania (55), Georgia (58), Macedonia (59), Ukraine (61), Turkey (65), Bosnia and Herzegovina (80), and Russia (88).  Belarus and more than forty other countries are not on the list.  The bottom ten on the list of 104 countries include Egypt, China, Libya, Syria, and in last place, Yemen.  The organization explains how they determine their rankings as follows:


For more information, see http://www.democracyranking.org/en/.

Vienna: The Best City    12 December 2012

Mercer, the human resources firm, has named Vienna the top city to live in for 2012 citing its economy and cultural attractions.  The second on the quality of life list is Zurich.  Fifteen of the top 25 cities in the world are in Europe.  In North America, four Canadian cities top the list--Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal--because of infrastructure and public services, including health care.  The first city in the United States on the list is Honolulu, which is 28th, with a few others following: San Francisco (29th), Boston (35th), Chicago (42nd), Washington, DC (43rd), New York and Seattle (both at 44th), and Pittsburgh (49th).  Other cities in the US are on the list, with Detroit, at 71st, having the lowest rank.  There is a separate survey ranking cities for their infrastructure.   These surveys of 221 cities help multinational businesses best compensate their employees.  The complete survey is at http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving.

Humanities and Social Sciences Discrimination in Florida    12 December 2012

Florida's governor, Rick Scott, has cut university funding dramatically, has criticized the humanities and social sciences for producing graduates with majors that are not in demand, and has favored the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  Now he wants universities to freeze tuition for three years for majors in the STEM fields while allowing the tuition for other majors to increase.  Such a short-sighted policy is nothing less than discrimination against the students outside of the STEM fields.  Another initiative of the governor is to have the former community colleges, now known as state colleges, offer four-year degrees for $10,000.  The average degree at a former community college costs $13,000, and the price tag is $24,000 at universities.  This plan has brought the criticism of many, including the vice chairman of the State Board of Education, Roberto Martinez.  University of Florida professors also have organized a petition against the state cuts through Change.org.  Since the state cut funding to colleges by 26 percent between 2006 and 2011, it is not difficult for faculty to notice the difference in library budgets and funding or for students to see how tuition has increased to offset the loss of state investment.  A major fear of educators is that continued cuts and preferential treatment for some fields will have a negative effect on a variety of noted programs and harm the overall reputation of Florida's universities.  For more information, see http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/10/education/florida-may-reduce-tuition-for-select-majors.html?ref=todayspaper.

Safran to Open in Mobile, Alabama    7 December 2012

The French aerospace engineering firm, Safran, is opening an office in Mobile, AL, and will employ approximately 50 engineers and support staff.  Safran has contracts with Airbus, which also has opened a manufacturing facility in Mobile.  For more, see http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2012/dec/06/airbus-supplier-moving-mobile-ar-5119728/.

Overwhelmed!    6 December 2012

Many of my readers may have wondered what has happened to the "What's New?" feature of this web site.  The explanation is simple: a conference, the need to be out of town, graduate papers, preparation for finals, and other commitments have made it impossible for me to keep up to date with reporting newsworthy events.  As the semester ends, I will post on a more regular basis and attempt to list some of the most critical occurrences dealing with European affairs.

Hiring Bias Favors Graduates from Elite Institutions    6 December 2012

Everyone in academia realizes that an Ivy League doctoral degree does not mean that an individual is the best teacher or researcher.  Conversely, academics know that state schools and lesser-known private institutions produce some amazing talent.  Nevertheless, the assumption persists that the best minds emerge from the schools that top the US News and World Report rankings.  Now, a recent study has revealed that 11 prestigious institutions provide half of those who received tenured and tenure-track positions in political science.  Graduates from more than 100 other institutions compete for the remaining positions.  Although logic dictates that the elite institutions have no monopoly on intelligence, elitism prevails.  Any student planning on getting a doctorate in the humanities and social sciences, where the employment opportunities are so scarce, must consider this unfortunate reality.  A report about the study is available from the Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/article/PhDs-From-Top/136113/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en.

Juan Cole on the Resignation and Legacy of Petraeus    11 November 2012

In an interview on Democracy Now!, Juan Cole, a professor of history at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and a specialist on the Middle East, reviews the career of CIA director David Petraeus and raises questions about his legacy.  Read more at http://www.democracynow.org/2012/11/12/juan_cole_real_petraeus_failure_was.

Greek Parliament Approved Further Budget Cuts    8 November 2012

Despite protests on the streets, the Greek parliament approved budget cuts of €13.5 billion in order to receive the next tranche of loans of the same amount in order to avoid default.  The prime minister, Antonis Samaras, admitted that many of the wage and pension cuts that will result from the measure will be unfair, even though they are necessary.  On Sunday, the parliament is scheduled to pass the budget, which is the final requirement for receiving the loan.  More is available at http://euobserver.com/economic/118131.

A British Journalist Considers How America Has Changed    4 November 2012

Simon Kupper, who writes for The Financial Times, was born in Uganda but was raised in the UK, Netherlands, US, Sweden, and Jamaica and has degrees from Oxford and Technische Universität in Berlin.  He recently published an article in The Financial Times in which he considers how America and Europe are becoming more distant since the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Part of the problem, as he sees it, is the unique style of American conservatism that is linked with Christian religious fundamentalism.  His article is available at http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/1a9a99de-22ea-11e2-938d-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2BJqWdbXI.

British Torture of Germans during the Second World War    2 November 2012

A book by Ian Cobain titled Cruel Britannia (Portobello Books, 2012) outlines the systematic British torture of Germans during the Second World War to extract information.  Cobain, a reporter for The Guardian, has written an article that describes his findings at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2223831/How-Britain-tortured-Nazi-PoWs-The-horrifying-interrogation-methods-belie-proud-boast-fought-clean-war.html.

Transcript of the 1944 Breton Woods Meeting    2 November 2012

Kurt Schuler, an economist in the US Department of the Treasury, discovered a transcript of the Breton Woods, NH, meeting of 1944 that created the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.  The researcher also found other copies of the transcript at the National Archives and at the International Monetary Fund archives.  Schuler along with Andrew Rosenberg at the Center for Financial Stability edited the transcript and have made it available electronically at http://www.centerforfinancialstability.org/brettonwoods_docs.php.  The web site also offers a print version available for purchase.  An article on the transcript is available at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/business/transcript-of-1944-bretton-woods-meeting-found-at-treasury.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121026&_r=0.

Study Finds that the Best Faculty-Administrator Ratio is 3:1    2 November 2012

Universities and colleges throughout America are plagued with an overwhelming number of administrators who seem to multiply at amazing rates.  The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that a study by Robert E. Martin, a retired professor of economics at Centre College in Danville, KY, and R. Carter Hill, a professor of economics at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, determined that the best ratio is three tenured and tenure-track faculty members to every one administrator.  Currently, there are generally twice as many administrators than desirable in American institutions of higher learning.  The study found that costs are higher if there are fewer or more administrators than the 3:1 ratio.

The Chronicle article is available for subscribers only at http://chronicle.com/article/Ideal-Ratio-of-Tenure-Track/135500/?cid=at, but the study is open to all readers at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2153122.

Romania Detains Bankers and Officials for Money Laundering    2 November 2012

Romanian authorities have detained 33 bankers and officials for money laundering and fraud after raiding approximately 50 homes and offices.  See http://news.yahoo.com/romania-33-bankers-officials-detained-131856510--finance.html
.

Slovenia – average purchasing power with some areas just under average
Greece – some areas just above average, and a few areas with average purchasing power
Czech Republic – under average purchasing power
Slovakia – under average purchasing power with some areas just above the weakest in Europe
Poland – just above the weakest in Europe, aside from the areas near Warsaw and other major cities, which are just under the average purchasing power
Baltic States and Hungary – similar to Poland
Turkey – just below average to the weakest in Europe
Montenegro and Croatia – just above the weakest in Europe.
Albania, Belarus, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Serbia, Ukraine – weakest purchasing power in Europe, with some areas that are just above the weakest in Europe
Moldova – the poorest purchasing power in Europe

14 October Elections in Montenegro -- For background to the elections in Montenegro on 14 October, a contest in the ruling Social Democrats are expected to win, see http://www.neweasterneurope.eu/node/464.

The War of 1812 -- Russia is celebrating its victory in the War of 1812, and an interview with Sergey Mironenko, historian and director of the State Archives of the Russian Federation, brings out some interesting details about the conflict.  See http://valdaiclub.com/history/49843.html.

EU Literature Prize Goes to a Slovak -- The 2012 European Union Prize for Literature has gone to a Slovak author, Jana Beňová, who writes poetry and prose, for her 2008 work Plán odprevádžania (Café Hyena), translated as Seeing People Off (Café Hyena).  Read more at http://www.euprizeliterature.eu/author/2012/jana-benova.

Europe’s Oldest Urban Area Discovered in Bulgaria -- Archaeologists have discovered what appears to be Europe’s oldest urban settlement about 40 km from the Black Sea city of Varna in Bulgaria.  The estimated date of construction for the city walls is 4700-4200 BCE.  The area was important for its production of salt.  See http://www.stonepages.com/news/#4856.

A Glimpse of Life in Divided Cyprus -- A report from NPR considers life in the divided city of Nicosia, Cyprus.  The article and link to the audio report is at http://www.npr.org/2012/10/13/162837461/cyprus-divided-capital-a-last-vestige-of-war?ft=3&f=1001&sc=nl&cc=nh-20121013.

Cuban Missile Documents -- The JFK Library has released new documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis and has placed them on line.  An article about the documents is at http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/10/10/kennedy-library-dorchester-release-seven-boxes-robert-kennedy-papers-cuban-missile-crisis/LlZOVhjcGiKuFBevGRrTnJ/story.html?comments=all#readerComm.  The documents are available at http://www.jfklibrary.org/Search.aspx?nav=Ntk:Digitized+Collection|Robert+F.+Kennedy+Papers.+Attorney+General+Papers|1|,N:16-4294962039.  The web site for the JFK Library is http://www.jfklibrary.org/.

NAM still holds high symbolic significance. Of course, NAM is also facing challenges while having its own weaknesses. NAM has its own strengths and their importance should not be downplayed. The movement puts the emphasis on the principle of cooperation among nations and continues its support for maintaining peace. It encourages disarmament, insists on the nations’ right to self-determination, emphasizes on the need for structural changes in the United Nations, especially the Security Council, in order to encourage optimal participation of the international community in international processes related to the fate of humanity, insists on the adoption and implementation of multilateral policies as well as focuses strongly on unanimity on issues such as human rights and cultural pluralism.

In the inter-war years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee made several awards to persons who were seeking reconciliation between Germany and France. Since 1945, that reconciliation has become a reality. The dreadful suffering in World War II demonstrated the need for a new Europe. Over a seventy-year period, Germany and France had fought three wars. Today war between Germany and France is unthinkable. This shows how, through well-aimed efforts and by building up mutual confidence, historical enemies can become close partners.

In the 1980s, Greece, Spain and Portugal joined the EU. The introduction of democracy was a condition for their membership. The fall of the Berlin Wall made EU membership possible for several Central and Eastern European countries, thereby opening a new era in European history. The division between East and West has to a large extent been brought to an end; democracy has been strengthened; many ethnically-based national conflicts have been settled.

The admission of Croatia as a member next year, the opening of membership negotiations with Montenegro, and the granting of candidate status to Serbia all strengthen the process of reconciliation in the Balkans. In the past decade, the possibility of EU membership for Turkey has also advanced democracy and human rights in that country.

The EU is currently undergoing grave economic difficulties and considerable social unrest. The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to focus on what it sees as the EU's most important result: the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights. The stabilizing part played by the EU has helped to transform most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace.

The work of the EU represents "fraternity between nations", and amounts to a form of the "peace congresses" to which Alfred Nobel refers as criteria for the Peace Prize in his 1895 will.

At a time when the EU faces major challenges and significant global uncertainty and gains
new momentum for economic, financial and political integration, enlargement policy
continues to contribute to peace, security and prosperity on our continent. Within a framework
of strict but fair conditionality, the prospect of accession drives political and economic
reforms, transforming societies and creating new opportunities for citizens and business. At
the same time, enlargement reinforces the Union’s political and economic strengths. By
exercising leadership through its enlargement policy, the EU can reap the benefits of a
stronger and more united continent, also demonstrating its continued capacity as a global
actor (p. 2).

Slovenia claims it needs no bailout -- http://news.yahoo.com/slovenia-pm-no-bailout-needed-045330264.html.
   
Albania sold its state oil company for 1.1 billion USD to Vetro Energy, which is based in Houston, Texas, and Singapore -- http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/albania-sells-state-oil-company-vetro-energy-17384791#.UHI2hK7FCSI and http://www.vetroenergy.com/news.
   
Częstochowa, Poland, has renamed its symphony orchestra after Bronisław Huberman (1882-1947), a native of the city and a Polish-Jew who not only helped Jews during the Nazi Era but who was the founder of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra -- http://news.yahoo.com/polish-philharmonic-orchestra-named-jewish-violin-virtuoso-bronislaw-163117068.html.
   
Ruzyň Airport in Prague has been renamed Václav Havel Airport Prague after the first president of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel (1936-2011).  Ironically, Ruzyň is also the location of Ruzyň Prison, where Havel served time during the Communist regime for his dissident activities.  English speakers have a tendency of pronouncing Václav as VAK-lav when it should be VAT-slav, and the airport may be slightly more difficult to pronounce than Ruzyň (RU-zin with a soft n as in onion).  Read more at http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/ladies-and-gentlemen-well-shortly-be-landing-at-vaclav-havel-airport.

Lithuania is suing the Russian natural gas giant Gazprom for price fixing -- http://euobserver.com/foreign/117743.
   
Georgian politicians are negotiating for a transfer of power to the country’s new government, and 21 October will be the first sitting of the newly-elected parliament -- http://news.yahoo.com/georgian-govt-opposition-negotiate-power-handover-111450257.html.
   
The discovery of the bones of a woman in Austria reveal that she likely was a metal worker in the bronze age between 3200 and 5000 years ago.  The find questions the assumptions that certain trades were exclusively the domain of males.  See http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_AUSTRIA_BRONZE_AGE_FIND?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-10-03-09-55-18.
   
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Greece this coming week as announcements from officials in Athens reveal that the country will run out of money by November if it does not receive the funds the troika has promised.  The government is still struggling to enact austerity measures amidst protests.  Further demonstrations will take place against Merkel because many Greeks see Germany as holding their country financially hostage.  Read more at http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/merkel-to-visit-greece-as-its-money-is-running-out/189925/on and http://euobserver.com/agenda/117766.

Addressing risks of instability in the Western Balkans is manifestly in our joint interest, given the legacy of war and division which has plagued this region.  Enlargement to the Western Balkans is an investment in stability also in the EU’s wider neighbourhood.  It helps avoid the potentially far higher costs of dealing with the consequences of instability.  The need for stability and democracy in south-east Europe has taken on a new dimension in view of the events of the Arab Spring.  By exercising leadership in stabilising its neighbourhood, the EU can reap the benefits of a stronger continent, demonstrating its continued capacity as a global actor (p. 2).

Good governance, the rule of law, administrative capacity, unemployment, economic reform and social inclusion remain major challenges in most countries, in particular Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.  There is often a need to take more responsibility for reforms and to muster the necessary political will to move forward.  Strengthening freedom of expression and independence of the media remains a major challenge, particularly in Turkey (p. 3).

1) rule of law (justice systems; corruption; fight against organized crime; public administration reform; and guaranteeing freedom of expression);
   
2) regional cooperation and conciliation in the Western Balkans (regional cooperation; reconciliation, including war crimes and refugee return; minority rights; and bilateral issues);
   
3) economic challenges, mainly strengthening economic recovery.