Transitions Online: October issue
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Subject: Transitions Online: October issue
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
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Transitions Online: October issue
Transitions Online
Where East Meets West
http://www.transitions-online.org
In "No Easy Cure," the In Focus feature package for October,
Transitions Online examines the difficulties and dangers faced by
Balkan reconstruction. Compiled from some of Southeastern Europe's
leading journalists and experts, "No Easy Cure" features the following
articles:
Don't Shoot the Messenger
by Ljiljana Smajlovic
http://www.transitions-online.org/oct99/dontsh.html
Yugoslavia's community of NGOs and independent media are feeling the
heat for their anti-war stance during the bombing. In private
meetings, international funders have accused Serbian media and NGOs of
forsaking their integrity by not risking wartime crackdowns to publish
anti-Milosevic articles. But the journalists and analysts Ljiljana
Smajlovic interviews say they have no regrets - and they share a
sneaking suspicion that the West is simply looking for someone to
blame.
A Dead End to Reform
by James Lyon
http://www.transitions-online.org/oct99/adeadend.html
After five years of throwing money into Bosnia's corrupt, inefficient,
and fundamentally flawed infrastructure, the West's honeymoon with
Balkan reconstruction is losing its luster. This time around,
proponents of the Stability Pact are claiming they've got no
illusions. But after James Lyon, director of the International Crisis
Group's Sarajevo office, finishes itemizing the inherent problems in
the West's reconstruction efforts in Bosnia, there's little left to
demonstrate that trying to rebuild Kosovo will be any different.
The Price of Acquiescence
by Bianca Guruita
http://www.transitions-online.org/oct99/theprice.html
Months after the Romanian government scrambled to side with the West
during the bombing, no aid is in sight, the economy's losses are
mounting by the minute, and frustrated companies - after being
glaringly omitted from reconstruction plans - are ducking the
government altogether and scoring business deals in the Balkans on
their own. Even the promise of NATO accession is wearing thin for
Romanians.
Fighting the Fear in Yugoslavia
by Boris Begovic
http://www.transitions-online.org/oct99/fight.html
Fear and its manipulation by politicians has been the biggest
stumbling block to economic and political reform in the Balkans. Over
the years, the region's populists and demagogues have effectively
manipulated these fears in order to prevent reforms. No one has proved
better at this than Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. Boris
Begovic, a Belgrade-based economist, details the necessary measures
for institutional and economic reform and argues that the elimination
of this fear is crucial to the reconstruction process.
The Great Divide
by Tomas Miglierina
http://www.transitions-online.org/oct99/thegreat.html
Rural areas were never treated well in socialist Yugoslavia. It was in
the cities - the home of the proletariat - where development marched
at a quicker pace. Bosnian reconstruction was no different. Aid
workers - reluctant to venture into remote villages, which were safe
havens for troublemakers or indicted war criminals - concentrated
their efforts in the towns and cities. But if early indicators are
anything to go by, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and other
international agencies may not repeat the same mistake.
Cashing in on Cooperation
by Christopher Karadjov
http://www.transitions-online.org/oct99/cashing.html
For Velizar Sabchev, the war in Kosovo was a blessing. His firm,
Sabsta 67, has been supplying window glass to home-builders in the
Kosovo town of Pec since late July. Sabchev's success as an
entrepreneur in post-war Yugoslavia reflects a trend to cash in on the
reconstruction of the region. During the bombing, governmental
approval ratings took a nose-dive, and popular support for Bulgarian
NATO membership dropped to 40 percent. But politicians and ordinary
citizens alike now believe Bulgaria should be rewarded handsomely for
its unwavering support for NATO's strikes against a neighboring Slavic
country. And although there is no clear idea what the fair price for
such a commitment should be, the general mood is that Bulgaria is
closer to the West than it was before the Kosovo crisis.
******************************************************************
Using a network of local correspondents, Transitions Online publishes
a monthly selection of articles focusing on a particular theme with a
broad regional impact. We also regularly post opinion pieces, media
articles, and other feature stories. In the coming months, our
coverage will expand to include a Week in Review section and our
Analytical Forum, which will publicize academic and public research,
creating an online community of experts.
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