How some of the siloviki went over to Yushchenko and, in their account, helped prevent a crackdown in Kiev on or around November. One of the reasons the orange revolution didn’t end in blood red.
Difficult to check, of course, and naturally the services want to ingratiate themselves with the new regime, but consistent in its [...]

The catastrophic tsunami in the Indian Ocean gave many of us reason to crack open the dictionary and reacquaint ourselves with the term ‘theodicy’. Crooked Timber’s Brian Weatherson, for example, saw in the catastrophe an opportunity to discuss the ‘problem of evil’ (i.e., given the manifest existence of evil in the world, is it not [...]

John Kornblum, former US Ambassador in Berlin, knows a thing or two about Germany from his forty years’ acquaintance with the country.

In a nation traumatized by violent upheavals, voters seem to demand an emotional insurance policy before accepting change. This insurance must promise that new methods will not undermine the social and economic [...]

Via Chris Bertram at Crooked Timber, an interesting article by Matthew Tempest in Spiegel Online (in English) comparing the rather contrasting fortunes of the German and British Green Parties. Both were founded at around the same time (the article does make an error in saying the Ecology Party renamed itself as the Green Party in [...]

For those of you who haven’t alrady seen it through other blogs, European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallstr?m now has a weblog on her official site. There are no comments yet, and no gossip about what happens in meetings of the Commission, but it’s an interesting step forward.

In addition to our own European blog awards, I note that via Crooked Timber (and in turn from The Head Heeb) the people at alt.muslim are taking votes for the First Annual Brass Crescent Awards. This selection of blogs and posts on Islam or by Muslims offers some much needed diversity in the discussion [...]

EU vote boosts Ukraine membership hopes
by George Parker in Brussels, Raphael Minder in Strasbourg and Tom Warner in Kiev
Financial Times, 13 January 2005
Ukraine’s long-term hopes of joining the European Union were boosted on Thursday when the European parliament voted overwhelmingly to open the door to possible membership. …
Although the parliament’s vote was non-binding, it was [...]

With their symposium on China Mi?ville, our friends over at Crooked Timber have set a mark for the rest of us to jump for. Seven perceptive posts all about one author, along with a response from the writer himself. Plus lively debates in the comments on several of the threads.
Thanks for the great reading, and [...]

Ukraine’s Central Electoral Commission has now officially declared Viktor Yushchenko to be the winner of the Presidential election, though Yanukovich reportedly still plans to appeal the decision. The BBC reports that Yushchenko may be sworn in as President as early as this weekend. More information at Le Sabot.

The next round of the Koufax Awards! If you think we deserve it, you can vote for us in the Best Group Category.

The 2005 Bloggies! You can nominate us for any category you think apply, particulary the one for best European weblog.
Our own blog awards! Do you know what I hereby announce? I hereby [...]