All the news

The Hybrid Warriors and the Invasion of Ukraine

24/11/2022 -  Giorgio Comai

What were the proximate dynamics that made possible what took place in the Donbas between 2014 and 2022? And what has even happened? An important part of the answer is convincingly outlined in Anna Arutunyan’s excellent latest book

Gag complaints, an anti-SLAPP shield is coming

22/11/2022 -  Paola Rosà

OCCRP, the transnational investigative journalism platform against crime and corruption, has devised a system to prevent lawsuits, prevent self-censorship, and defend journalists from gag lawsuits – an actual shield in defence of reporters. We interviewed Drew Sullivan, co-founder of OCCRP

Kosovo, making the best use of innovation potential

17/11/2022 -  Ornaldo Gjergji

Kosovo is growing fast in the field of innovation, but the strong potential of the sector is currently not being used as much as it deserves. We talked about it with Uranik Begu, director of the Innovation Center Kosovo

Revythoussa, the islet of gas

16/11/2022 -  Mary Drosopoulos Thessaloniki

Τhe islet of Revythoussa is a small, barren piece of land in the Gulf of Megara, west of Athens. There would be nothing special about this place, except it has become the only LNG terminal in Greece and a strategic energy stronghold for the wider Balkan region

Inequalities and resistance in Putin's Russia

15/11/2022 -  Asia Leofreddi

"The stable emergence of a Russian civic consciousness against the war is inseparable from a collective elaboration of the trauma of belonging to the aggressor country", says Russian sociologist and dissident Alexander Bikbov in this interview

Crossing borders with data journalism

14/11/2022 -  OBCT's data team

EDJNet, the European data journalism network coordinated by OBC Transeuropa, turns five. A first assessment of this experience aimed at developing the European public sphere

“Predatorgate”, dozens of Greek ministers and journalists under surveillance

09/11/2022 -  Alessio Giussani Athens

New revelations reopen the surveillance scandal in Greece: dozens of journalists, politicians, and entrepreneurs were targeted by secret services and spyware. Who gave the orders?

EU Monitoring Capacity deploys on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border

08/11/2022 -  Onnik James Krikorian

The European Monitoring Capacity (EUMCAP) is the short-term EU mission deployed on the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the aim of reducing tensions between the two states and strengthening their mutual trust

Against SLAPPs, the first European conference

07/11/2022 -  Sielke Kelner

The first European conference for the fight against SLAPPs, also known as gag or reckless complaints, was held in Strasbourg on 20 October, organised by the European Center for Press and Media Freedom and the Coalition against SLAPP in Europe. The report of the event

Romania: the interference of parties in the media

03/11/2022 -  Mihaela Iordache

A recent report by the Council of Europe exposes the flow of money that goes from political parties to the media in Romania, and the consequent subordination

Innovation in the Western Balkans, looking for stars

02/11/2022 -  Francesco Martino

Supporting the development of young and innovative businesses in the Western Balkans. This is the objective of the Star Venture programme of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. We talked about it with regional coordinator Dejan Tonic

Serbia: Eko Straza, citizens in action against air pollution

28/10/2022 -  Serena Epis

Eko Straza is one of the civic initiatives that with activism and protests across the country has contributed most to bringing environmental issues to the centre of public and political debate in Serbia. We interviewed Stanislav Vuckovic, an activist of the group

Promoting innovation in Albania: the role of academia

27/10/2022 -  Serena Epis

Innovation clusters that involve relevant stakeholders, from public authorities to the private sector and academia are key to reducing brain drain and promoting local development. We talked about it with Jolta Kacani, professor at the University of Tirana

Gaming in Serbia: unity is strength

27/10/2022 -  Francesco Martino

The gaming industry in Serbia is growing exponentially. More and more companies in the sector are growing thanks to mutual collaboration. We interviewed Kristina Janković Obućina, director of the Serbian Game Association

Tetovo, where languages open doors

25/10/2022 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Tetovo, North Macedonia, is one of the most multi-ethnic and multicultural cities in the Balkans. Here many inhabitants can speak all the many languages of the city: a skill appreciated for the ability to open doors, friendships, and possibilities

Greece: the gap between anti-discrimination laws and reality

24/10/2022 -  Elli Zotou

How are anti-discrimination laws enforced in Greece? Are marginalised subjectivities protected? Does equal treatment only apply to European citizens? Is society ready to tackle intersectional discrimination? An analysis

Croatia, let's finally talk about menstruation poverty

19/10/2022 -  Marina Kelava

Recent research on menstrual poverty in Croatia, conducted by the PaRiter association, has allowed the issue of menstruation to be addressed by educational institutions. Various initiatives to make menstrual products free

Croatia hits the gas

18/10/2022 -  Giovanni Vale

Croatia is preparing to become a regional gas supply centre thanks to the regasification plant inaugurated on the island of Krk in 2021. The Plenkovic government rejoices over Zagreb's renewed strategic-energy role, but environmentalists disagree entirely

Adriaticaves, protecting the caves between Italy and the Balkans

14/10/2022 -  Marco Ranocchiari

The Adriaticaves project, part of the Interreg Adrion cooperation programme, aims to promote sustainable management of the immense speleological heritage scattered on both shores of the Adriatic, with particular attention to tourism with low environmental impact and disadvantaged territories

From Thessaloniki to Izmir, the friendship ferry

13/10/2022 -  Mary Drosopoulos Thessaloniki

Against the backdrop of growing tensions between Greece and Turkey, a positive counter-signal comes from the sea: the first regular ferry was recently launched between the cities of Thessaloniki and Izmir