Near the Port of Belgrade, tucked away from the public eye, there is a large call center. From there, more than 100 people call citizens every day to ask them if they will vote for the Serbian Progressive Party in the upcoming elections. It is a well-organized group, and the way they work raises suspicions of vote buying and funding using "black money". Everything was witnessed first-hand by a CINS journalist who was briefly part of this group
Despite some positive signs, corruption continues to weigh on the Romanian healthcare system. The main victims are citizens, forced to pay under the table to obtain the services of doctors and nurses
Early political elections will be held in Serbia on December 17 for the fourth consecutive time. Since 2012, i.e. since the SNS party came to power and since Aleksandar Vučić became president, this will be the seventh time that Serbian citizens have been called to the polls
Last week in Sarajevo the publication "Citizens, Constitution, Europe. Glossary of essential costitutional concepts in BiH” was presented. The volume, published by the Faculty of Law of Sarajevo, is the result of an academic discussion lasting several years, dedicated to issues relating to the constitutional order of the country, carried out as part of a project financed by CEI KEP Italy fund, coordinated by the University of Milano-Bicocca
Austria remains one of the EU countries most sincerely interested in enlargement to the Western Balkans, but its policy towards the region suffers from populism and a lack of vision. We talked about it with Adelheid Wölfl, historical correspondent from the region for the newspaper Der Standard
While the international community is facing the challenge of getting humanitarian aid to Gaza amid restrictions in place, Cyprus has proposed the creation of a maritime corridor to reach civilians in need. Despite the technical challenges lying in its implementation, EU leaders seem to be supportive of this plan
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
Last week’s decision by the European Commission to recommend Georgia receive European Union candidate status caught many by surprise. While most Georgians celebrate, the road ahead remains long and difficult
Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik once again attacks the EU, accusing it of applying double standards to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the integration path. But Dodik's own initiatives, which limit freedom of association and expression, are distancing the country from the European Union
The prestigious Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival will not take place this year. The reason? The controversial decision to exclude the documentary "The Decree", which talks about a taboo topic: the consequences of the repression following the failed anti-Erdoğan coup of 2016
The resignation of Arayik Harutyunyan and the change of leadership in Nagorno Karabakh open a new phase of uncertainty in the region and for the future of relations between Karabakh and Azerbaijan
The new European regulation aims to protect the secrecy of journalistic sources, the key concept at the heart of journalism, but actually risks legitimising its systematic violation
The municipal elections will be held in Yerevan on 17 September, an important challenge because a third of Armenia's population lives in the capital, and then because it will be a test for the Pashinyan government, at a time when the Armenian political debate is dominated by the Karabakh issue
Despite recent diplomatic meetings Azerbaijan and Armenia are once again in a stalemate over the Lachin corridor, a 5km highway linking Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh. The blockade of this corridor by Azerbaijan is putting the inhabitants of Nagorno Karabakh in difficulty
“I don't know who wrote this bill, but I suspect that the main intention was to divide the Croatian media, creating havoc in the sector”, said Hrvoje Zovko, the president of the Association of Croatian Journalists (HND). We met him in Zagreb
Gubad Ibadoglu, a well-known economist who has long been disliked by the Azeri government for his political aspirations, was arrested in Baku in recent days. His work focuses on “petro-capitalism”, analysing how oil and gas revenues have fuelled corruption and authoritarianism in post- Soviet states
On Thursday 20 July, the People's Assembly of the Republika Srpska adopted the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code envisaging criminalization of defamation. Calls from international and local actors to protect freedom of speech and withdraw the controversial provision that qualifies defamation as a criminal offence have gone unheeded
It is a violation of human rights, it is unnecessary, it forces unbearable decisions on families, and creates new vulnerabilities. As it renews its martial and mobilization laws in August, Ukraine should reconsider its male travel ban
Despite some early signs of moderation, after winning his third presidential term in contested elections, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has remained committed to his traditional repressive policies
The start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, paradoxically, may have avoided a new open confrontation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is one of the reflections by Edina Bećirević, a professor at the University of Sarajevo and an expert on Russian influence in the Western Balkans. An interview
The struggle for control of information in Slovenia is a constant in the permanent "civil war" between the country's political forces. After long political clashes, the Board of Directors met for the first time last Monday
Synthesise and integrate two "failed", seemingly antithetical political thoughts, the Marxist and the Islamic one. This is what EKP-dominated Turkey needs according to Recep İhsan Eliaçık, Turkish thinker and activist, animator of the first collective of "anti-capitalist Muslims”
After the massacres of the recent weeks, street demonstrations continue against the government and above all the media, which according to critics have created a climate of intolerance and violence over the years
Serbia and Ukraine used to have close geopolitical positions, but such friendship has been jeopardised by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A study tries to take stock of the bilateral relations between Kyiv and Belgrade. We interviewed author Kateryna Shymkevych
In early May, the Commission published a working document on the potential impact of cohesion funds in member states during the current financial seven-year period. What are the economic prospects for the countries of South-East Europe?
The acquittal of the authors of an investigative book on discontent within the majority party comes in a local context where the rule of law is severely tested by the interweaving of media concentration, economic interests, politics and business, family ties, and various anomalies
After last Sunday's vote, in southeastern Turkey between Van and Ağrı, the prevailing sentiment is that of resignation, if not bitter pessimism. The pre-election euphoria has given way to profound uncertainty
No winners in the first round of the Turkish presidential elections on May 14. Outgoing president Erdoğan and his challenger Kılıçdaroğlu will go to the second round on May 28. The analysis of the vote and the results of the parliamentary elections
For the first time in over twenty years in power, Erdoğan is facing a coalition and an opponent who could give him a run for his money in the elections on Sunday 14 May. Polls put both the outgoing president and his main challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the CHP, at 45%
