Balkans

Serbia, Youth, And The EU – OpEd

“To be credible, I believe we must talk about timing and homework. And I have a proposal. As we prepare the EU’s next strategic agenda, we must set ourselves a clear goal. I believe we must be ready – on both sides – by 2030 to enlarge. This means that …

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The ‘E’ is Missing from North Macedonia’s ‘E-Services’

North Macedonia’s public services have gone digital. Only they haven’t.Digitalisation has become a buzz word in North Macedonia, where for two decades politicians have rolled out digital reforms, opened so-called ‘One-Stop Shops’ and promoted ‘E-services’. Yet public registries remain unconnected, procedures are complicated – bordering on absurd – and the …

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Book Review – Enver Hoxha’s Long Shadow: Travels in Albania

John Watkins’ new travelogue offers an intriguing snapshot of a country still scarred by the legacy of its brutal dictator.Over the past 10 to 15 years, it would be easy for someone with only a passing knowledge of history to think that Albania is just another part of what has …

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Albanians Aren’t Indebted To Italy For Its 1990s ‘Welcome’ – OpEd

Edi Rama’s justification for the migrant deal with Rome – that Albanians owe Italy a historic ‘debt’ to Italy – is based on a misreading of history. The protocols signed by Albanian PM Edi Rama and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni last November by which the government in Tirana will allow Italy …

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Serbia’s Two Traditions Of Freedom – OpEd

Today, Serbia does not enjoy a reputation as a free country. The philosophy of strong hand, top-down organization of society, a socialist understanding of economy, and fierce nationalism are its trademarks. The legacy of socialism with a human face, of which I have written elsewhere, has entrenched a statist mentality …

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Serbia’s Authoritarian (Re)turn

The conduct of Serbia’s latest elections points to the country’s democratic decline. The EU cannot stay neutral in the face of President Vucic’s provocations and authoritarian tendencies. There is a certain back-to-the-future quality to Serbia. One would think that the country has long moved on from the lows of the …

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2023 Ends With Wave of Misinformation, Online Attacks and Scams Across Balkans

At the end of 2023, the Balkans was ensnared in a complex tapestry of digital misdirection, a surge of online attacks targeting women and escalating cyber threats.In the closing months of 2023, a wave of misinformation gripped North Macedonia, Hungary, Romania, and Turkey. Deceptive political narratives, manipulated charts, and orchestrated …

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BIRN Fact-Check: Was Kosovo’s First Transitional Justice Strategy Worth the Wait?

Kosovo’s first-ever transitional justice strategy is soon to be adopted, almost 25 years after the war ended – but experts argue that although it’s a step forward, it doesn’t do enough to address the problems that have persisted since 1999. More than two years since the drafting of Kosovo’s first-ever …

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Serbian Democracy is Paying a Price for Western Geopolitical Interests

Western actors in the Balkans prioritize regional stability above all other considerations – and while Vucic delivers that, they will continue to view election irregularities as a secondary matter.Just five days after highly controversial elections in Serbia, the social media accounts of the US embassy in Belgrade published a video …

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Serbia’s Authoritarian (Re)turn

The conduct of Serbia’s latest elections points to the country’s democratic decline. The EU cannot stay neutral in the face of President Vucic’s provocations and authoritarian tendencies. There is a certain back-to-the-future quality to Serbia. One would think that the country has long moved on from the lows of the …

Read More »