Serbia - Articoli

Serbia between Moscow and the West: in the name of opportunism

30/03/2023 -  Francesco Martino Belgrade

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Serbia has navigated a delicate and increasingly uncomfortable balance between West and East. However, according to analyst Vuk Vuksanovic (Belgrade Centre for Security Policy), Serbian elites are mainly driven by their opportunism


Serbia: toxic substances and dangerous railways

26/01/2023 -  Antonela Riha Belgrade

Little or nothing is known about the impact and responsibility of 20 tonnes of ammonia leaking from a tank on a freight train in southeast Serbia, an accident that also claimed two lives. In Serbia, it remains hard for citizens to obtain information about these environmental disasters


Serbia, algorithmic discrimination rehearsals

14/12/2022 -  Federico Caruso

A new law on social services in Serbia provides for the collection of a large amount of personal data of beneficiaries, to be analysed with an algorithm that evaluates their socio-economic condition. The declared goal is to improve the distribution of resources, but over 22,000 people have already lost the subsidy, without knowing why


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


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


"Novi Sad on water", concrete and protests along the Danube

22/09/2022 -  Marco Ranocchiari

After Belgrade, Novi Sad. The new urban plan threatens the banks of the Danube and a natural area that "lets the river breathe", essential in case of flooding. The city administration continues at full speed along the concrete road


Europride in Belgrade, 10,000 in march

23/09/2022 -  Giovanni Vale

Despite government bans aimed at limiting the LGBT demonstration in Belgrade, over ten thousand people marched through the streets of the capital on Saturday 17 September. Can we therefore speak of a success? Yes and no, as explained by Goran Miletic, director of the Europe and MENA Office at Civil Rights Defenders and one of the Europride organisers


Europride in Serbia: success and defeat

21/09/2022 -  Antonela Riha Belgrade

Prohibitions and threats failed to stop Belgrade's Europride and its colourful parade through the streets of the capital. However, there were also accidents, hate speech, and violence. The road to full realisation of LGBT rights in Serbia remains an uphill one


Serbia, more violence against protesters

03/08/2022 -  Antonela Riha Belgrade

The recent events in Novi Sad, where a citizens' protest against the application of the new Master Plan was severely repressed by the police and private guards, confirmed the tendency of Vucic's regime to use violence to suppress dissent


Serbia and Bulgaria: across the border, against postural disorders

15/06/2022 -  Alice Facchini

Back muscle dysfunctions and imbalances are on the rise in our society. Serbia and Bulgaria have decided to address the issue, starting with children and young people, thanks to a cross-border project


Cycling in the Amazon of Europe

24/05/2022 -  Marco Ranocchiari

The Amazon of Europe bike trail makes it possible to cycle over 1000 km along a cycle path that winds between rivers and forests, from Austria to Serbia


"In corpore sano", Serbia's hymn to health for Eurosong in Turin

05/05/2022 -  Nicola Dotto Belgrade

"(Umetnica) mora biti zdrava" [(The artist) must be healthy] is the warning and call to everyone's responsibility on the subject of health launched by Serbian artist Konstrakta, who will perform on the stage of the next "Eurovision Song Contest" of Turin. We interviewed her


War in Ukraine, the Balkans hold their breath

01/03/2022 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

Concern is growing in the Western Balkans about the evolution of the war in Ukraine. Geopolitical and economic issues make the region one of the areas particularly sensitive to possible serious repercussions linked to the ongoing conflict


Croatia and Serbia, the advantages of a good neighbourhood policy

24/02/2022 -  Nicola Dotto Belgrade

Dozens of projects, hundreds of partners involved, nine cross-border regions thinking together about their future. A review of the Cross-border Cooperation Programme between Croatia and Serbia


Serbia, new environmental protests

02/12/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović Belgrade

In Serbia, the environmental issue is becoming an increasingly important social and political matter. Protests against some controversial laws are bringing numerous citizens and environmental associations to demonstrate in various cities


Serbia: economic development at the expense of workers

30/11/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović Belgrade

The case of the Chinese company Linglong in Zrenjanin exposes the terrible exploitation of workers and the inhumane conditions in which they live. The government tries to downplay the scandal, but this is not the first time that foreign investment has been accompanied by the exploitation of workers


Jovanka Broz in colour

12/10/2021 -  Luciano Panella

"Jovanka Broz – in colour" is the title of the exhibition that was inaugurated last week at the Belgrade headquarters of the Serbian Radio Television and which will be open until November 30th


“Ada Ciganlija”, Belgrade's seaside

10/09/2021 -  Nicola Dotto Belgrade

A few kilometres from the centre, "Ada Ciganlija" is now Belgrade's favourite escape from the chaos of the city, a green oasis where you can play sports, relax, and swim in the summer; however, few know of its turbulent past


Serbia: the government's hypocritical dialogue with civil society

14/09/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović

"It makes no sense for civil society to spend time helping the state devise a strategy that will never be applied. In a country where the rule of law does not exist, there is no point in adopting new laws and strategies". A meeting with Maja Stojanovic, director of Građanske inicijative


Serbia: Vucic and the pro-government media against Twitter

30/08/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović Belgrade

Twitter recently flagged some Serbian outlets as "government-affiliated news media". Instead of opening a debate on the decision, the government and President Vucic have embarked on yet another smear campaign against non-aligned media


Serbia, fighting for the environment in fragile areas

30/07/2021 -  Eugenio Berra Belgrade

Environmental battles in peripheral areas in Serbia are little known and little studied. Activists and citizens encounter many difficulties in mobilising. Interview with social researchers Jelisaveta Petrovic and Jelena Pesic from the University of Belgrade


Serbia: fundamental rights of young people tested by the pandemic

26/07/2021 -  Ivana Draganić

School, the world of work, personal freedoms: young people in Serbia have not been at the centre of the priorities of the institutions in Serbia in this pandemic period – nor were they before


EXIT 2021: a reckless slap in the face of the pandemic?

21/07/2021 -  Nicola Dotto Belgrade

The “EXIT” music festival, the first major mass event in Serbia after over a year of pandemic, has just ended. Despite the strict protocol of procedures and controls, the country is wondering whether the mega-rally was actually needed


Serbia, the citizens' ecological revolt

20/04/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović Belgrade

Last April 10, thousands of citizens took to the streets of Belgrade for what has been called the "Ecological Revolt". The environmental issue was brought to the political level. Will the opposition be able to intercept this civic momentum?


When libraries burn

13/04/2021 -  Božidar Stanišić

The National Library of Belgrade, the oldest cultural institution in Serbia, was destroyed on April 6, 1941 by the Axis forces on Hitler’s explicit orders. Thus Serbia lost an inestimable cultural heritage in a single day


Serbia: the criminalisation of civil society

26/03/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović Belgrade

An attempt is underway in Serbia to discredit civil society. Serious and heavy attacks against some Serbian non-governmental organisations came from the parliament benches, in particular from Aleksandar Martinovic, leader of the Serbian Progressive Party


Serbia: journalists don’t feel safe

19/03/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović Belgrade

The media situation in Serbia continues to deteriorate, as illustrated by the recent withdrawal of five journalists’ and media associations from the Working group on safety and protection of journalists, set up by the government last December. Repeated attacks against KRIK journalists were the straw that broke the camel’s back


Serbia, vexatious lawsuits against journalists

12/03/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović Belgrade

The director of the N1 television station and the editor-in-chief of the television portal have been sued with a request for one million Euros in compensation by Telenor, which is becoming increasingly aggressive towards United Media – a company that owns some Serbian media including N1


China and Central-Eastern Europe, "17+1" at the end of the line?

23/03/2021 -  Francesco Martino

It was created in 2012 to foster economic cooperation between China and Central-Eastern Europe. After the last edition, held online with disappointing results, the "17+1" initiative appears to be in decline, so much so that some analysts openly question its survival


Serbia between China and Europe

26/02/2021 -  Vukašin Obradović Belgrade

China’s influence in Serbia is growing. In its recent report, the European Parliament expressed concern about the lack of transparency and environmental and social impact assessment of Chinese investments and loans in Serbia and across the Western Balkans