All the news

Greece, coronavirus and new winds of crisis

24/03/2020 -  Elvira Krithari Athens

As the coronavirus epidemic came, Greece was initially distracted by other issues. Now, however, everything is blocked, and the country is dealing with a crippled healthcare system and a new economic crisis on the horizon

COVID-19, Aliyev spreads the message

23/03/2020 -  Arzu Geybullayeva

While leaders across the globe encourage people to stay calm and be diligent with the measures put in place to combat the global pandemic, in Azerbaijan the spread of the global virus is used as an opportunity to threaten independent voices and political foes

Coronavirus, Albania is in quarantine too

20/03/2020 -  Tsai Mali

After the first two cases confirmed on March 8th, the Albanian authorities have implemented an escalation of restrictive measures to contain the spread of an infection that risks causing the national health system to collapse. After last November's violent earthquake, the country cannot afford another crisis

North Macedonia, coronavirus stops elections

19/03/2020 -  Ilcho Cvetanoski Skopje

The coronavirus epidemic has led the Macedonian authorities to postpone the early elections scheduled for April 12th to a later date. Now the priority is citizens' health

The Specialist Chambers’ hybrid nature as a promising solution for transitional justice in Kosovo

18/03/2020 -  Meris MušanovićArolda Elbasani

Overcoming partiality and risk of intimidation on the one hand, and lack of ownership on the other: the Special Court in Kosovo tries to give a new impetus to transitional justice with a "hybrid" approach, which involves both the national and the international dimension

Greece’s deadly rail tracks

12/03/2020 -  Ilias StathatosNikos Morfonios

Greece takes the bloody lead in terms of deaths and injuries in rail accidents in the EU, with about 25 victims per year. Problems are mainly caused by unsafe level crossings, poor infrastructure and traffic management systems, and understaffed companies

Bulgaria, waiting for the coronavirus "stress test"

11/03/2020 -  Francesco Martino Sofia

The Borisov government reacts mildly as the first cases are being reported in Bulgaria. Strong concerns about the Bulgarian healthcare system's ability to withstand the impact of Covid-19, especially if the situation deteriorates quickly

Of the invisible and the disappeared. Notes from the Turkish-Greek border

09/03/2020 -  Deniz Şenol SertIlhan Zeynep Karakılıç

Two Turkish sociologists and journalists went to see with their own eyes what is happening on the border between Turkey and Greece. An intense reportage

Balkan route: fragile calmness on the Bulgarian front

06/03/2020 -  Francesco Martino Sofia

Good relations with Turkey and especially with president Erdoğan, at all costs: this is how prime minister Boyko Borisov has managed to protect Bulgaria from the new migration crisis. However, this strategy may be based on fragile foundations

Armenian activists turn art into protest

04/03/2020 -  Shushan Abrahamyan

Graffiti on the walls of Yerevan are both art and political activism. A reportage

Bosnia and Herzegovina, institutions blocked at the Dayton market

27/02/2020 -  Alfredo Sasso

Milorad Dodik – current member of the tripartite state presidency – has launched the RS-Exit for the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina. For some, yet another bluff; for others, a dangerous sign. Collaterally, the Constitutional Court is under attack

Ukraine: from press freedom to censorship risks

25/02/2020 -  Claudia Bettiol Kiev

Last January the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports presented a bill in order to change the media and disinformation law. The proposal, however, has raised criticism from the opposition, journalists, and media experts, who see their right to freedom of opinion threatened

A Contested Attempt at Transitional Justice – the Kosovo Specialist Chambers

20/02/2020 -  Meris MušanovićArolda Elbasani

A "hybrid" institution – based in the Hague, but part of the judicial system of Kosovo, the new special court for the crimes of the UCK promises, among many criticisms, a new approach to transnational justice

Moldova: towards a new psychiatric care system

17/02/2020 -  Francesco BrusaAndrea Bonetti

Moldova is undergoing a radical reform of the psychiatric care system. The country is transitioning from the old model of psychiatric assistance to a new system, based on the establishment of so-called "community medical centres". A reportage

Bella ciao, when a song crosses borders

14/02/2020 -  Ahmed Burić Sarajevo

It is certainly a song out of the ordinary, one of the best known in the world. Bella ciao has been sung by many, musicians and non, from Manu Chao to Goran Bregović, from Tom Waits to Don Andrea Gallo at the end of a mass. "It is the symbol of resistance and the struggle for human rights worldwide".

Hocus Pocus – Aliyev Style election

12/02/2020 -  Arzu Geybullayeva

Magic is what comes to mind when trying to find the right words to describe the snap parliamentary election that took place last Sunday, February 9th in Azerbaijan

Railways in Greece: poor service, no competition

12/02/2020 -  Eleni Stamatoukou Thessaloniki

Passenger train services are heavily subsidised in Greece, taking advantage of loopholes and delays allowed by EU law. A new memorandum signed by the government keeps state aid and TrainOSE’s monopoly in place, despite the fact that many routes are not operated and citizens are not happy with the service

Diplomacy and the war in Ukraine

11/02/2020 -  Filippo Rosin

Last December, Ukrainian President Zelensky and Russia's Putin met under the aegis of France and Germany. Since then, however – although much has been said about Ukraine because of Trump's impeachment and the shooting down of the Boeing in Iran – little has changed in the Donbas conflict.

"Honeyland" and the relaunch of Macedonian cinema

07/02/2020 -  Ilcho Cvetanoski Skopje

With its nomination for two Oscars, award-winning film "Honeyland" has relaunched the prospects of North Macedonia's cinema in a year of great success. But is the country ready to create a long-term cultural strategy? Our analysis

The energy transition yet to come

06/02/2020 -  Gianluca De Feo

The European Union wants to abandon coal by 2050, but this will require significant help from European banks, which still finance 26 per cent of all coal power plants in the world