Inside News on Odessa and Ukraine
I was pondering a blog entry on how the EU will deal with the next Ukrainian political term given the less than ideal way it was run and eventually concluded. The answer it seems has been given before I thought too deeply about strategies, causal effects, lines of communications both overt and subtle and to […]
It seems the Ukrainian President has nominated Mykola Azarov has been nominated for the post Prime Minister again, before the President disappears into the sunset on a visit to India. Not much to say about that nomination really, other than it has put to bed rumours of other candidates. Azarov may be a grey, uninspiring, […]
Whilst all headlines will be on the action of the last RADA session passing the 2013 budget, 234 MPs also supported Law 11285 which relates to securities and derivatives - something that won’t make the headlines. Law 11285 introduces a specific tax on transactions with securities and derivatives, a 0% rate on stock exchange transactions, […]
The Ukrainian NGO Чесно or “Chesno” which has made a pretty good attempt at identifying each RADA MP in the previous parliament with their numerous personal integrity failings in the past, be they issues of swapping political parties, corruption, illegal voting, being oligarchy puppets etc., etc, and has arrived at a similar graphic display for […]
I will immediately steer clear of the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index 2012, which unsurprisingly ranks Ukraine at 144th and perceived as corrupt, simply because that will grab the mainstream headlines. Ukraine still perceived as corrupt shocker - blah blah blah - not news at all! Instead I will bring to your attention the 2012 […]
Although I studied economics as part of a degree in Business Management and Finance many moons ago, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it was not exactly the most interesting of subjects, and one in which I had to motivate myself to maintain a respectable overall end grade. The fact it […]
Tempted as I am to speculate on the formation of the new Cabinet of Ministers in the forthcoming new parliament, the current Cabinet resigning en masse yesterday as required by law, thus allowing for a new Cabinet and reshuffle - I won’t - yet. Instead I will ease my way back into writing here with […]
So the opposition parties in Ukraine have accepted the election results as called by the CEC, with the exception of 5 seats that are to be re-run. One presumes that having done so, the call for the elections to “represent the genuine will of the Ukrainian voters” as per the EU press statement of two […]
Well, well, well! No - not three holes in the ground filled with water, but rather a sarcastic acknowledgement that Odessa City Hall has finally got around to creating a new website - Invest in Odessa. I deliberately use the word “finally”, as way back in autumn 2007 when I first met Mikhail Freidlin, he was […]
According to MEP Pawel Kowal, head of the European Parliament’s Observer Mission for the Ukrainian elections when speaking at the European Parliament Committee for Foreign Affairs a few days ago, the Ukrainian elections were the best of those held by post-Soviet nations. For a man who should be used to being very careful with his […]