One in six Romanians is not connected to the water or sewage network. In Bulgaria and the Baltic states the figures are also worrying – but the situation is finally improving, also thanks to European funds
Since 1979, Tbilisi has held the Tbilisoba Festival, an autumn celebration that has become a long-standing tradition. A joyful carnival, with street performances, music and dance, culinary specialties and much more. This year, Tbilisoba offered family fun despite the decline in attendance and size. Photo and text by Onnik James Krikorian, from the Festival held on October 5-6, 2024
Rijeka has a new modern city library, the “Gradska knjižnica Rijeka”, in a former industrial area redeveloped and transformed into an authentic cultural hub. Our reportage
An innovative library, created with EU cohesion funds, in the former industrial area of Rijeka, now redeveloped and transformed into an authentic artistic district. We met the director of Rijeka City Library Niko Cvjetković
The analysis between the two countries shows similar trends, with a rather low number of readers. In both cases, reading habits reflect existing inequalities at the socio-economic level
After a brief decline, labour exploitation in the Western Balkans is on the rise again, threatening the already fragile economic and social fabric of the region
Conceived as an alternative to EU cooperation, the Open Balkan initiative, promoted by Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia, aimed to create a regional common market to allow the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. The reasons for its failure
From being criticised for his unconventional wines to finding them in the cellars of top Michelin-starred restaurants, Oskar Maurer is a reference for natural wine production in Serbia. We spoke to him about his winemaking philosophy and much more
Climate change is affecting wine production around the world. Adaptation and resilience are the only answers to this ever-changing situation. Radovan Đorđević, owner of Vinarija Čokot, is facing this situation in the Serbian region of Župa
The Facebook group "RoOmenia" connects tens of thousands of Romanian citizens scattered across Europe, providing concrete help – from housing to medication – and contrasting the loneliness of many expats. An initiative launched by a group of lorry drivers
Despite some impediments provided by law, the phenomenon of early marriages exists in Armenia. So much so that a new bill intends to set the minimum age for marriage at 18, without exception, and to repeal all the rules referring to early marriages and underage spouses
Ilija Jovanović grew up without parents: an experience that affected him deeply, but also pushed him to commit himself, through the association “Building the future”, to improve the lives of those facing the same situation
Twenty-five years have passed since the end of the armed conflict in Kosovo: an entire generation, born during the 1999 war, is approaching adulthood with a heavy legacy, but also strong hopes for the future. Will it be a generation of peace?
One year ahead of the next general election, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has embarked on a tour across Europe to make citizens living outside the country “Proud of Albania”. But the issue remains the electoral code, which currently does not allow people to vote from abroad
Violence against older people is a real and little-studied problem globally, but also felt in countries like Armenia and the Caucasus in general. Also because the elderly tend to live isolated, and struggle to find help
Betting and gambling companies have gained enormous influence in Bulgaria and Romania. Not only on the people who slip into gambling addiction, but also on the media, which suffer from their economic power. New laws seek to contain this influence, but their impact is unclear
In Herzegovina, native grape varieties like Blatina, Trnjak, and Žilavka lead a resurgence in the vinicultural landscape. Historical depth merges with the innovation of new producers, crafting a distinctive terroir and driving global ambitions in Herzegovina's evolving wine industry
With dedication and passion, Simeon Zlatev has created a true ethnographic museum by collecting traditional Macedonian objects, now mostly disappeared, for over three decades
In recent decades, Turkish television series have experienced astonishing success, becoming one of the country's most significant economic and cultural exports. If they sell abroad, however, TV series are subjected to ever-increasing government pressure
A young student, designer and entrepreneur from North Macedonia decided to make her dreams come true by developing hats produced by reusing waste materials. The idea is enjoying great success
Last March 8, the Greek parliament approved a law that enables the creation of private universities: a provision that divides the country, bringing the right to education and democracy back under the spotlight
Among many problems, North Macedonia is trying to reform its education system, adapting it to the challenges of the present. The results, however, at least for now, remain disappointing
With the Prespa Agreements of 2018, the then Republic of Macedonia agreed to change its constitutional name to North Macedonia. Now the new definition must be included in citizens' documents, a process however full of delays and obstacles
Analysing street names in major European cities, it turns out that people of African and Asian descent are strongly underrepresented. Barely 0.1% of streets commemorate non-white personalities born outside Europe
A journalist and a photographer from Romania have been living in a van for ten years to be able to write their investigations on how life is in Romania and how expatriate Romanians live. They are Elena Stancu and Cosmin Bumbut: we met them
In his wanderings along the Adriatic, Fabio Fiori returns to Brindisi, the gateway to this sea full of charm and light. An out-of-season dive takes him back to an essay by Tonio Hölscher on the sea, body culture and eros in ancient Greece
Turkish politics has always been extremely sensitive to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military operation in Gaza have reopened debate and conflict in Turkey too
Located at the heart of the "Balkan route", North Macedonia has been a transit country for many migrants in search of a new life in Europe. Some of them, however, decided to stay
Once a widespread phenomenon in Armenia, selective abortion has declined in the last decade. However, according to the data up to 2022, the practice of prenatal selection based on gender has started again
