The Law and Reality

Georgian ex-Deputy Minister of Justice talks about the implementation of the new Criminal Procedure Code in Ukraine and Georgia’s criminal justice reform experience

Civilization of the Young

The brain drain process is a painful challenge to Lithuania, as the country is losing the best of its young people, would-be scholars, artists, business people, probably – even public figures, policy makers and statesmen as well.

Help Yourselves, and Europe Will Help You. Maybe…

Does Kyiv truly want to join both the EU and the Customs Union? If it is bluffing, then who is the true partner and who is the fake?

The Estonian Secret Services: Established Despite KGB Interference

On 19 September 2008, Estonian Defence Ministry adviser Hermann Simm and his wife travelled to a small town near Tallinn to pick up a three-kilogram cake that Simm had ordered for his mother-in-law’s birthday from a local shopping centre. When they came out of the shop carrying their purchases, neither noticed the black Volkswagen minibus - or the ambulance positioned just around the corner, there in case Estonia’s most wanted traitor should put up resistance, have a heart attack or take a capsule of poison.

Beware the Referendum in the Hands of a Tyrant

This short insight into the history of direct democracy might serve all those Ukrainian democrats who want to prevent the plebiscitairian and bonapartistic scenarios

Does a “Sorry” Make Sense?

Apologising for past events in history has become an explosive issue around the world. Should statesmen take personal responsibility for events that happened long before they were born?

Inactivity Leads to Hell

The first quarter of this year has some remarkable dates. The way people, the media and politicians treat them is an interesting indicator of a society’s moral and political state.

How Europe Got to Know About Kopanky

With coal deposits everywhere in the small town of Snizhne, kopanka owners bribe for licenses and fake signatures - all to start mining coal right in someone's garden or under the local cemetery

The Toothless Hag

The notion that a foreigner would want to learn Ukrainian is beyond the comprehension of the majority of Kyiv residents. Why waste your time? Why stop to such a level? After all, don’t you see that she’s a toothless hag!?!

I have heard so many promises from Yanukovych over the past years that have turned out to be doublespeak

Hanne Severinsen, PACE co-Rapporteur in 1995-2008, tells The Ukrainian Week about her opinion of the EU-Ukraine summit outcome