Politics

After the referendum, Macedonia still divided on the name issue

03/10/2018 -  Ilija Minovski Skopje

Despite the low turnout in Sunday's "name referendum", Macedonia's government is still pushing to reach a compromise with the opposition to change the Constitution. In case no agreement is secured, though, snap elections will follow

Macedonians to vote on new name

28/09/2018 -  Ilija Minovski Skopje

Macedonian citizens will vote on Sunday on the Prespa agreement, which foresees "Republic of North Macedonia" as a new constitutional name for their country, in an attempt to overcome the long "name dispute" with Greece

Ahmeti, being mayor of Prishtina

05/09/2018 -  Giovanni ValeJelena Prtorić

In his second term, Shpend Ahmeti, former member of Vetëvendosje! and now of the Social Democratic Party, explains what he sees in the immediate future of Kosovo's capital: solidarity, fair development, and social justice

Croatia Must Not Whitewash the Horrors of Jasenovac

03/09/2018 -  Menachem Rosensaft

An article published by Croatia’s best-read newspaper downplaying the atrocities at the Jasenovac concentration camp was an attempt to rehabilitate Croatia’s WWII fascist Ustasa regime and deny its complicity in the Holocaust

#Diciotti, tweets, and #Albania: solidarity at the time of the web

31/08/2018 -  Nicola Pedrazzi

Despite tweets and announcements, no asylum seeker of the Diciotti ship has been transferred from Italy to Albania. Without their consent, the solution proclaimed by the two governments would be illegal. A comment

Greece leaves bailout programmes: “And now, what’s going to happen to us without barbarians?"

29/08/2018 -  Elvira Krithari Athens

What is going to happen in Greece without external financial help is yet to be seen. Regardless of what the government and the opposition affirm, the financial crisis is not over

Zagreb is ours, a movement on the side of citizens

19/09/2018 -  Giovanni ValeJelena Prtorić Zagreb

Tomislav Tomašević, 38, is the leader of the movement Zagreb je naš ("Zagreb is ours"). An activist, political scientist, and environmentalist, Tomašević represents to date the most dynamic opposition to Zagreb's unremovable mayor Milan Bandić. We met him

Turkey Ltd

31/07/2018 -  Fazıla Mat

With the new presidential system, Erdoğan has consolidated his position of power. The new government includes many representatives of the business world, despite the risk of conflict of interest

Albania: drugs and politics

17/07/2018 -  Giovanni ValeLaetitia Moreni

An in-depth analysis of relations between organized crime, drug trafficking, and politics in Albania

Turkey, post-election scenarios

11/07/2018 -  Dimitri Bettoni Istanbul

Last month's elections in Turkey marked the transition from a parliamentary to a presidential regime, dominated by the political figure of Recep Tayyp Erdoğan. An overview in an interview with Professor Ödül Celep from the Işık University in Istanbul

Turkey, a huge clandestine experiment

06/07/2018 -  Francesco Brusa

"Turkey as a country and we as the people have been through an experiment called 'Moderate Islam and democracy.' Now we are going through the insanity phase." A dialogue with Ece Temelkuran, Turkish writer and journalist

North Macedonia: agreement sparks controversy in Greece

29/06/2018 -  Elvira Krithari Athens

What the agreement really offered, apart from turning the page for two Balkan countries, is a chance to observe political tendencies in Greece, by highlighting parties’ true colors and capacities

Name issue agreement, the day after in (North) Macedonia

25/06/2018 -  Ilcho Cvetanoski Skopje

After almost 25 years of negotiation, Athens and Skopje agreed to end the long-lasting name dispute. The road to finalizing the agreement, though, is still long and in (North) Macedonia the society and political parties remain bitterly divided on the issue

Turkey, Economy and Elections

22/06/2018 -  Dimitri Bettoni Istanbul

The economy will play a key role in the Turkish elections on Sunday 24 June. We discussed the current economic situation and its future perspectives with Professor Gül Günver Turan, president of the "Turkey - European Union" Association, retired professor of Economics at the University of Istanbul

Elections in Turkey: The vote of the youth

22/06/2018 -  Fazıla Mat

On Sunday over one and a half million youngsters will vote for the first time in Turkey. An analysis of the trends among young people and the impact they could have on the result ahead of a crucial election for the country

Montenegro: public service is (not) at the service of citizens

22/06/2018 -  Damira Kalač Podgorica

The recent removal of the general director of the public broadcaster Andrijana Kadija has brought back to the surface the issue of public service, the inadequacy of existing legislation, the limits to freedom, and the total interference from power

Serbia: the case of journalist Stefan Cvetković and the absence of institutions

22/06/2018 -  Antonela Riha Belgrade

A journalist disappeared, and then was back after days of searches. Public opinion and fellow information professionals held their breath, while the weakness of institutions was exposed

Turkey: new rules, old concerns

19/06/2018 -  Dimitri Bettoni Istanbul

Turkey is preparing for the parliamentary and presidential elections of June 24 with the new constitutional asset pushed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. We analyzed the situation on the eve of the vote with the constitutional law lecturer Fikret Erkut Emcioğlu

Croatia: identity, the past, and reconciliation

27/06/2018 -  Francesca Rolandi

It's been 5 years since Croatia entered the European Union – years in which the nationalist right came back to power and Zagreb abandoned the policy of reconciliation with the countries of the region

Azerbaijan, killing a republic

08/06/2018 -  Arzu Geybullayeva

In May Azerbaijan celebrated the 100th anniversary of its republic. Little is left of the democratic principles that inspired the founding fathers

Pashinyan and the Armenia of tomorrow

31/05/2018 -  Monica Ellena

The so-called Armenian velvet revolution has paid off – Nikol Pashinyan has become premier. But now the real challenge begins – to change the country. To be able to do it, the new premier needs at least a parliamentary majority

Serbia: parallel divergences

29/05/2018 -  Dragan Janjić Belgrade

According to the Minister of Defense, Serbia should part ways with Brussels; for the President of the Republic the European road is not under discussion. Simple divergences, political crisis, or usual two-voice game for two different audiences – local and EU?

Erdoğan in Sarajevo: the Bosnians will pay the price

24/05/2018 -  Ahmed Burić Sarajevo

The recent electoral rally that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held in Sarajevo highlighted the difficulties of today's Bosnia Herzegovina and the contradictions of Europe

Reform of the Dublin Regulation – Towards another wasted opportunity?

21/05/2018 -  Francesca Spinelli

Prolonged discussions and disagreements between governments threaten the necessary reform of European rules on the right of asylum

Montenegro: journalist Olivera Lakić attacked

18/05/2018 -  Damira Kalač Podgorica

Olivera Lakić, investigative journalist from the Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti, was shot and wounded in front of her house, in the same place where she was beaten up six years ago. It's not easy to be a journalist in Montenegro

Demonstrating for David in Banja Luka

10/05/2018 -  Alfredo Sasso

The authorities of the Republika Srpska are not telling the whole truth on the suspicious death of 21-year-old David Dragičević. But there are now thousands of protesters who every day, for a month and a half, have been asking for clarity

Dossier: Freedom of the press in Bulgaria

03/05/2018 -  Nicola PedrazziFazıla MatValentina Vivona

Dangerous entanglements between media, politics and business in the country in charge of the Presidency of the Council of the EU

Armenia’s Space for Liberty

24/04/2018 -  Inna Mkhitaryan

The protests of these days in Armenia against the appointment of Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister - resulted in his resignation - have as their ideal and symbolic place the Freedom Square of Yerevan. The history and the present of this square

Azerbaijan: the kingdom of Aliyev secures fourth season

16/04/2018 -  Arzu Geybullayeva

Nothing but a show, with dramatic results for the future of Azerbaijan. A commentary on the recent presidential elections

Turkey: a new electoral law

13/04/2018 -  Dimitri Bettoni Istanbul

Following the recent amendments to the electoral law, the climate in Turkey reminds that of the pre-electoral period. The country, though, will not head to the polls earlier than in November 2019. An analysis by our local correspondent