Balkans

Given Ankara’s revisionist (and expansionist) geopolitical stance, it is exceptionally important not to come across as split or divided and to be united in confronting Turkey’s destabilising moves. It will not be easy but it is urgent due to unfavourable developments and the provocative, grandiose celebration that Turkish President Recep …

“Europe will never allow parts of our society to be stigmatised: be it because of whom they love, because of their age, their ethnicity, their political opinions, or their religious beliefs.” President Ursula von der Leyen, (European Parliament, 7 July 2021)

In the margins of Greece’s booming IVF industry, women trade their eggs and clinics gamble with ethics while the state looks the other way.The working week was a grind but the weekends back then made it seem worthwhile. On Friday nights, between waitressing or whatever job she had taken to …

Production pressure, lax safety and outdated equipment are costing lives in Serbia’s arms industry. Yet those in charge are rarely held responsible. For residents of Cacak, a town in western Serbia, it was like a blast from the past – two explosions two weeks apart at the state-run Sloboda arms …

As the latest election fails to resolve the political deadlock that has gripped Bulgaria since April, the country is heading into uncharted territory. For the second time in just over three months, Bulgaria has seen parliamentary elections. While the April 4 vote resulted in a surprise, Sunday’s poll was hardly …

Aleksandar Vucic is never happier than when presenting awards – but who the real star of the show is on these occasions is another question. The awarding and receiving of medals has become one of the favourite performances of Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vucic. For each holiday, the head of state …

After Yugoslavia’s (Serbia) President Slobodan Milosevic refused to accept the so-called Rambouillet Agreement in 1999, which in reality was NATO ultimatum that demanded from Serbia and Montenegro to allow NATO troops to occupy the province of Kosovo as well as that NATO can build bases in Serbia, and that all …

Nem először tölt el csodálattal a szempontváltás képessége, amely olyannyira jellemzi a Fideszt. Bámulatos például, ahogy a többségi, autokráciába hajló (díszlet)demokrácia itthoni hívei, a váratlan és rekordgyorsaságú jogalkotás mesterei uniós színtéren a konszenzuális döntéshozatal szerelmeseivé vedlenek át. Az Orbán-kormány hazai ellenfeleit, kiszemelt célpontjait a hatalom és roppant médiagépezete rendre az …

China’s controversial investment push into the Balkans has notably sidestepped Kosovo, a state it does not recognise. From Montenegro’s ‘road to ruin’ to Serbia’s Smederevo steel mill, China is all over the Balkans these days. Except in Kosovo. “In Kosovo you can find many goods from China, but no investment …

After years of crises and fraught relations with old Western allies, President Erdogan is putting out feelers to the West – to save the economy and his regime, experts say. “Tensions have eased in our relations. We will … reengage in joint work,” French President Emanuel Macron announced on June …