North Macedonia - Articoli

Manaki Festival: stars and cinema

11/10/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

The city of Bitola, in North Macedonia, hosts one of the most prestigious film festivals in the region, dedicated to the work of the Manaki brothers, true pioneers of the camera in Europe and the Balkans


Ecocide and nature protection in the Balkans

20/09/2024 -  Sanja Mlađenović StevićKaterina Topalova

After the breakup of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia - known for their extraordinary natural resources and biodiversity - have been facing environmental crime and the devastation of nature


North Macedonia, digitalisation against the grey economy

11/09/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

At least 20% of the economy of North Macedonia develops in the “grey zone”, thus depriving the country and the national budget of resources essential for development. The government of Skopje has announced that it wants to combat the phenomenon through more effective digitalisation


Open Balkan, a failed step in the right direction

20/08/2024 -  Sava Mirković

Conceived as an alternative to EU cooperation, the Open Balkan initiative, promoted by Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia, aimed to create a regional common market to allow the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. The reasons for its failure


North Macedonia, the emergency response system needs changes

06/08/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

The vast fires that have hit North Macedonia in recent weeks have called into question the country's outdated system for responding to emergency situations. A problem made more serious by the lack of resources and personnel


North Macedonia, orphans and the future

16/07/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Ilija Jovanović grew up without parents: an experience that affected him deeply, but also pushed him to commit himself, through the association “Building the future”, to improve the lives of those facing the same situation


Western Balkans: Europe's future mining colony?

28/06/2024 -  Sanja Mlađenović StevićAleksandar Samardjiev

Are the Western Balkans becoming a mine of raw materials needed for the upcoming “green revolution”? Civil society organisations and many citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia answer resolutely: NO! The battle to protect the environment and health continues


North Macedonia, the new government begins to take shape

06/06/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

After the overwhelming victory in the political and presidential elections last May 8, VMRO DPMNE and its new allies are starting to outline the priorities of the new government. The future of the country's European integration, also linked to difficult constitutional reforms, remains a puzzle with a difficult solution


Tetovo, a great little museum

06/05/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

With dedication and passion, Simeon Zlatev has created a true ethnographic museum by collecting traditional Macedonian objects, now mostly disappeared, for over three decades


Sustainable fashion: Mirjana's hats

27/03/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

A young student, designer and entrepreneur from North Macedonia decided to make her dreams come true by developing hats produced by reusing waste materials. The idea is enjoying great success


North Macedonia, media and public funds

21/03/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

In view of the upcoming political and presidential elections, the Macedonian government has reintroduced forms of public funding for the media. However, the country's media organisations argue that the move may aggravate the influence of political interests on news outlets


North Macedonia: politics and toxic communication

04/03/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

According to a recent study, public discourse in North Macedonia is saturated with toxic narratives: these are spread not only by political parties and characters, but also by the media, often incapable of carrying out their role as a filter and guarantor towards the public


North Macedonia, education system in disarray

15/02/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Among many problems, North Macedonia is trying to reform its education system, adapting it to the challenges of the present. The results, however, at least for now, remain disappointing


North Macedonia, new elections coming

05/02/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

With the election of a technical and guarantee government, new parliamentary elections will be held in North Macedonia next May. The next parliament will have the difficult task to review the Constitution to relaunch the country's European path


North Macedonia, the name also changes on the documents

16/01/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

With the Prespa Agreements of 2018, the then Republic of Macedonia agreed to change its constitutional name to North Macedonia. Now the new definition must be included in citizens' documents, a process however full of delays and obstacles


North Macedonia, an endless hiking trail

31/12/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Crossing North Macedonia in an endless circle, savoring the beauty of its pristine mountains: this is the goal of a group of mountain enthusiasts who are implementing the "Sammiana" project


North Macedonia - EU: from words to deeds

13/12/2023 -  Angelina Cvetkovska

Reforms, integrity of the judicial system, corruption: the latest report from the European Commission on North Macedonia's progress towards future EU membership is probably the worst in recent years. For Brussels, Skopje must move beyond words and onto actions


Historical Macedonia and art: travelling with the Lexicon

27/11/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

After starting almost by chance, over the last twenty years Vlatko Miloshevski has collected dozens of works of art created in the territories of the historical region of Macedonia in the period 1850-1950. A heritage now also accessible online


North Macedonia, pensioners take to the streets

16/11/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

With rising food, energy and rent prices, living in North Macedonia on an often minimal pension has become increasingly difficult. This is why since last summer more and more pensioners have taken to the streets to protest


North Macedonia: a promised land for migrants and refugees?

27/10/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Located at the heart of the "Balkan route", North Macedonia has been a transit country for many migrants in search of a new life in Europe. Some of them, however, decided to stay


“Makedonissimo”: when Macedonian folklore meets classical music

13/10/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

The musical project “Makedonissimo”, desired and created by pianist Simon Trpčeski, reinterprets the folkloric tradition of North Macedonia through classical arrangements, without forgetting the traditional dances of the region, in a mix of ancient and contemporary


North Macedonia: limited resources for managing natural park fires

11/10/2023 -  Marco Ranocchiari

North Macedonia’s protected areas are of great ecological importance, but are increasingly exposed to the risk – among others – of fire. While political fragmentation and a shortage of personnel and resources pose considerable challenges, there has been significant progress. A report from the Šar Mountains National Park


Opium poppy, will it return to the fields of North Macedonia?

13/09/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

For centuries the opium poppy has been cultivated with great success in what is now North Macedonia. After the bans of the Yugoslav era, there are now those who want to reintroduce it for the (legal) needs of the pharmaceutical and food industries


Galičnik wedding: guardians of the traditions of Macedonian migrant workers

02/08/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

In North Macedonia many rural areas have been abandoned. To bring life back to the villages, at least in the summer, cultural events are growing, like the "Galičnik wedding", which celebrates 60 years


Fire in Tetovo hospital: no one will go to jail

16/06/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

In September 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 emergency, a fire at the Tetovo hospital in North Macedonia led to the death of 10 patients. Now, the trial has come to a controversial conclusion


North Macedonia, the highway of discord

10/05/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

The current Macedonian government wants to speed up the construction of road infrastructure: to do so, it is changing several laws and awarding the contract without a tender. Procedures which, according to the opposition, mainly damage the treasury in favor of private interests


North Macedonia, low wages and labour shortage

13/04/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

In recent decades North Macedonia has been affected by a very strong emigration trend and today more and more companies struggle to find staff. Among the solutions proposed, there is that of encouraging the arrival of workers from non-European countries


North Macedonia, a government in perpetual transformation

24/03/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

In North Macedonia, the composition of the government has changed again. Social Democrat Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski's goal is to bring home the constitutional reforms necessary to revive the race for the EU by the next elections in 2024


Save Lake Prespa, a natural treasure among three Balkan states

27/02/2023 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Lake Prespa, divided between North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece, is the natural habitat of thousands of species, some of which are unique. Due to the gradual loss of water, it risks losing its biodiversity. Despite the growing efforts to save it, the situation appears extremely complicated


North Macedonia, citizens oppose the opening of mines

27/12/2022 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Civil society organizations in North Macedonia have been fighting against the opening of new copper and gold mines for years. Citizens have collected documentation and evidence that mining will seriously damage the environment