100 posts
Meetings with Western Balkans
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Tirana from above (c) Lvovsky Creative commons flickr After a few days of holiday during the All Saints weekend, things are now moving again at full speed. I’m spending two days in Tirana, Albania, for a ministerial meeting with the Western Ba...
The Clinton-Ashton Double Act
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It’s probably the last time we see them shuttle together but you have to grant it to Hillary Clinton and Catherine Ashton: they are doing a good job as a two-piece team. (if only the Baroness hadRead more…...
Where were you in 1992?
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I was 9 years old when the first explosion happened in my hometown which announced dark clouds of war in my country. For a kid who was in school one day and next one in the shelter, that become my … Continue reading →...
Back to the future
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ACROSS Podgorica opposition activists have stenciled the name of Montenegro’s two main ruling parties on walls and underneath them have added the words: “Game Over”. It is not. The general election on October 14th has produced a result which me...
Montenegro: General Elections 2012
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BalkanInsight's live blog [en] of this past Sunday's parliamentary elections in Montenegro ends its coverage with this summary: […] No surprises in the Montenegro elections, if the preliminary results are confirmed. [Milo Djukanovic] lo...
Passport Rank 2012 – Balkans
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The “European perspective” is key concept for integrating western Balkans into EU. For ordinary people freedom of movement might be the main carrot after nearly 20 years of isolation. Visa restrictions play an important role in controlling the mo...
Bosnian summer – A European travel journal Pt. 4
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Having visited Srebrenica, I really want to see another side of the Republika Srpska (RS). The next day I rent a car and drive to Višegrad. Part 4: The Bridge on the Drina – Visegrad, Republika Srpska The town in the south of the RS is only a fe...
Bosnian summer – A European travel journal Pt. 4
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Having visited Srebrenica, I really want to see another side of the Republika Srpska (RS). The next day I rent a car and drive to Višegrad. Part 4: The Bridge on the Drina – Visegrad, Republika Srpska The town in the south of the RS is only a fe...
Bosnian summer – A European travel journal Pt. 3
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Part 3: More dead than alive – Srebrenica, Republika Srpska I apologise in advance, because there are some facts I have been holding back: the political situation in Bosnia is far more complicated than described so far. I have already written abou...
Bosnian summer – A European travel journal Pt. 3
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Part 3: More dead than alive – Srebrenica, Republika Srpska I apologise in advance, because there are some facts I have been holding back: the political situation in Bosnia is far more complicated than described so far. I have already written abou...
Integrated circuit
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EUROPEAN integration is still the central strategic goal of all Western Balkan countries. But Europe’s crisis has changed the political landscape. Until its onset several things were clear. For members of the European Union the point of bringing in...
Convicted Serb rapists from Vukovar 1991 – flee Croatia
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This is the stuff horror movies are made of. Only, horror movies are usually fiction. It is incredulous that persons charged of mass rapes during the Serb aggression in Croatia (early 1990’s) are still allowed to roam the streets freely over almost...
International Day of the Disappeard - 30 August 2012
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Amnesty International Press release29 August 2012Some 14,000 people remain unaccounted for in the countries that make up the former Yugoslavia – nearly half of the total number who disappeared in the decade since war broke out in 1991. Between 19...
Goran Bregovic: Balkans is everything but cool!
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If you would have to put a face to the Balkan music, an average European will most likely think of Goran Bregovic. The producer, composer and the leader of Wedding And Funeral Band has been featured as one the headliners of the Sziget festival severa...
Organised Crime in the Western Balkans
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A combination of its political and cultural history, as well as its geographical location, has allowed the Western Balkans to become a nucleus for international organised crime. Under Communist rule extensive black markets were established and flouri...
A long hot autumn?
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EVER since the end of the Balkan wars it has been traditional for analysts to depart for their holidays with the prediction that it is going to be a “long hot autumn” of political and especially social unrest. The strange thing is that this unres...
Cengiz Aktar: 20 yıl önce bugünler Yugoslavya
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20 yıl önce bugünler Yugoslavya “Yugoslavya’nın kalbine oku saplayan milliyetçilikti. Miloşeviç Sırp milliyetçiliğini öne çıkararak önce Kosova’nın, akabinde Voyvodina’nın özerkliğini ilga etti, ardından Sırbistan
Qaddafi's Yugoslav friends
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THE Balkan press and the region's intrepid Facebookers are having a field day digging out pictures of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, the beleaguered Libyan leader, with, variously, Stipe Mesic and Haris Silajdzic, former leaders of Croatia and Bosnia, Bori...
Freedom 2010 in Balkans and Eastwards
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“Freedom of the press, freedom of association, the inviolability of domicile, and all the rest of the rights of man are respected so long as no one tries to use them against the privileged class. On the day they are launched against the privileged...
Progress in the Balkans
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There has been a lot of positive news coming out the Balkans recently. Some of the highlights include: (1) Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina will soon be approved for visa-free travel to Europe. According to a recent EU report, the two countries hav...
Dark times for Montenegrin democracy: Opposition leader attacked on the street, freedom of speech on internet threatened, accusations for not cooperating on regional war on crimes…
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Last few weeks have shown the real face of Montenegrin political system once again. Opposition leader Mr Nebojsa Medojevic was attacked on the street because he publicly spoke about top crime boss in Montenegro, whom he accused to have power over P...
Italian and Montenegrin PM meeting. Berlusconi: Italy to build €720 milion underwater transmission line
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Governments of Montenegro and Italy will launch an investment project worth EUR 720mn - an underwater electric transmission line. Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic visited Rome (February 6th 2010) and discussed with his Italian colleague Silvio Berlu...
20 years since freedom and anti-war movement was created - Liberal Alliance of Montenegro
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Many countries in Europe have dark and bright moments in history. Dark periods are marked by either tyranny, totalitarism or wars, while bright periods usually refer to revolutions, ideas of progress and prosperity, anti-war movements and prominen...
”…long Live the Yugosphere”
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From December 19, after almost two decades, the citizens of Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro will be able to travel to the EU Schengen zone. The rest of the West Balkans is still on the waiting list, pending EU Commission approval once they have f...
Return to Europe – A Rediscovery
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“Return to Europe” or “BalkanExpress” (do not ask me why there are 2 names for it… ) is according to the European Stability Initiative (ESI): “…one of the most ambitious TV projects on South Eastern Eur...
FYROM to start negotiations on membership
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Today the Commission has adopted its annual strategy document explaining its policy on EU enlargement. Individual reports on the progress made over the last twelve months by each candidate and potential candidate was also presented. These countries a...
Montenegro facing first student protests in its history!
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Today, October 7th 2009, student groups will organize a first massive demonstration in Montenegro, ever. Unlike neighbouring Serbia and Croatia, Montenegro never experienced student protests or other forms of youth rebelism. The reason for the first...
Balkan people ‘less intelligent’?
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ource: RFI [edited] By Sarah Elzas, RFI exclusive South-eastern Europeans are not as intelligent as their northern counterparts and should not be allowed to decide Europe’s future, a leading MEP has claimed. Mogens Camre, deputy leader of the E...
Rock and a Hard Place: A Series on Western Balkans
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My dissertation deadline is closing in and its topic, EU-Western Balkan relations, is heating up. This fall will see important decisions for almost all the countries involved; visa-liberalization, the handling of Albania´s membership application, a...
Greek journalist sued for writings on Bosnia
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Via Marko Hoare’s blog, here’s an unhappy story about Greek journalist Takis Michas. A few years back, Michas wrote a book about the links between Greece and the Bosnian war — Greek support for Milosevic and Karadzic, Greek volunte...
New Diplomatic Row over Arrest in Macedonia
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Macedonia has publicly denounced calls from the Bulgarian government for the release of Spaska Mitrova, a Macedonian that also holds Bulgarian citizenship. Mitrova was sentenced to three months in jail for obstruction to justice. She is accused of vi...
Eu to lift Visas on Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana: Montenegro has impressive progress towards EU
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The European Commission proposed lifting visa restrictions on three Western Balkans states – Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia. Under this proposal, liberalization of visas for nationals of the Western Balkans will come into force on January 1st,...
Proposal for Visa Free Travel for Citizens from the Western Balkans
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The European Commission has adopted a proposal for granting visa free travel to the citizens of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The proposal enables the citizens of these three countries to travel to the Schengen countries with the new biometric pa...
Srebrenica
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Today is the 14th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, where they are still working on covering and identifying the bodies of the victims. There will be a burial ceremony of the 534 newly discovered victims in commemoration.From France 24:"Tens of...
An Update on Bosnia and Herzegovina
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I'm a bit late in posting this though I'd read it a while ago, but following the vetoing of an attempt by Republika Srpska to claim back some powers from the central government, the various political parties in BiH failed to meet on the 28th of June.
EU visa liberalisation for Montenegro?
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There has been lots of discussions in previous months over the possibility of putting Montenegro (and Serbia) on the white Schengen list, along with Macedonians who already fullfilled all the necessary requirements. Montenegrin government has prom...
Busek: Western Balkans should join EU as a block
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To prevent infighting between neighbours, the Western Balkan countries could join the EU more easily as a bloc, Erhard Busek, special enlargement advisor to the Czech EU Presidency. READ MORE...
Serbian-Croatian Relations After the Summit
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The first time ever an ethnic Serb citizen of Croatia, Aleksandar Jevtic, has received Croatia's highest award. The ethnic Serb citizen of Croatia has saved the lives of Croatian soldiers during the Croatia's war of independence, which was in fact, a...
Revising U.S. Balkan Approach [Ari RUSILA]
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I just read the article “Kosovo a Year Later” of Mr. Bandow in “The American Spectator” and must say it was very refreshing; it challenges the manipulated picture created earlier in mainstream western media and of course is provocative to tho...
Bosnia’s irresponsible politicians drive Auntie EU crazy
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Once upon a time a certain corner of Europe was known as Yugoslavia. Then it became former Yugoslavia or, for pointy-heads, the Yugoslav successor states. Now, with Slovenia in the European Union, Brussels has packaged what’s left of the old...
The Kosovar Goverment Ad in Serbia
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Probably one of the biggest gaffes ever in the Serbian media: the mainstream Serbian daily newspaper, Blic, has accepted a full-page advertisment from the break-away state of Kosovo. ...
Montenegro filed EU membership application, but what happens now?
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On 15th December 2008, Montenegro presented its official application for EU membership to French President Nicolas Sarkozy (presiding EU at that time), hoping to win EU candidate country status during 2009. On the occassion, EU enlargement commissio...
Can the EU Reunite a Dividing Bosnia?
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The only thing most citizens of Bosnia can agree on is European Union accession. Will that be enough?
Use of Depleted Uranium proved in NATO Bombings
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This post was first published in TH!NK ABOUT IT site 21st February 2009. An Italian non-governmental organisation – the Rome-based “Un ponte per …” - is investigating consequences of NATO’s 1999 bombings of Serbia and the effects of t...
Kosovo as private property [Ari RUSILA]
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Kosovo Albanians celebrated Feb.17th their first year of sc. Independence. Among normal praising statements and congratulations there was also various definitions of the status of this Serbia’s separatist province. Newest for me was one of...
Kosovo Independence – One Year On
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As Kosovo turns one, its UK ambassador assesses the year gone by and the challenges ahead, seeing huge progress achieved and a cause for hope for the future. (Article of statehood - Kosovo's new flag. Image: Peter Casier/Flickr)...
Kosovo celebrates its first anniversary of independence
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This week Kosovo celebrates its first anniversary of independence, and the many milestones it has passed in securing a path to a stable European future. This is real achievement. The Kosovan government has shown its readiness to set about improving t...
Kosovo as private property
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Kosovo Albanians celebrated yesterday their first year of sc. Independence. Among normal praising statements and congratulations there was also various definitations of the status of this Serbia’s separatist province. Newest for me was one...
Kosovo March/February 17th: Pogrom with Prize
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It is nearly five years since the outburst of ethnic Albanian violence in Kosovo on March 17, 2004, when 19 people killed and 954 wounded and when 35 Orthodox holy sites were ruined in two days. This pogrom got its prize a year ago on February 17th w...
Euro-Sceptism in Croatia
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In Croatia a Round Table discussion entitled “Croatia: Tired of EU Reforms?” was held last week. The title of event was quite describing because a recent Gallup poll showed serious doubts about Croatia’s EU membership. Opinion of local citize...
US Intelligence: Balkans pose the Greatest Thread of Instability in Europe
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This post was first published in TH!NK ABOUT IT site 12th February 2009. AFP/Washington reports Feb.13th 2009 that The Balkans pose the greatest threat of instability in Europe in 2009, according to an annual threat assessment presented Thursday by U...
World Bank destroyed Albanian village in joint operation with corrupted Government – a typical crime story from Balkans
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The internal report shows that a project of World Bank in southern Albania led to the destruction and destitution of a powerless village Jale in 2007. The report, obtained last week by Balkan Insight , a publication run by investigative journalists i...
EU Activities in the Western Balkans
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The European Commission has summarized in a working paper EU activities of regional relevance to the Western Balkan countries and corresponding regional activities related to the European agenda of the Western Balkans. Activities include: • steps t...
What’s up in West-Balkans 2009
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This post was first published in TH!NK ABOUT IT site 9th February 2009. A lot of interesting marches of progress will take or not take place in West Balkans during 2009. I try to keep my finger on the pulse of developments at least in Bosnia, Croatia...
What’s up in W-Balkans 2009
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A lot of interesting marches of progress will take or not take place in West Balkans during 2009. I try to keep my finger on the pulse of developments at least in Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia (including Kosovo) where the most interesting events will oc...
Montenegro Heading For Early Elections and EU Membership Talks
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The small, and newish independent state has applied for EU-membership and is heading towards an early election. The opposition claims that the long-time prime minister and president, wants to head the polls before the world economic crisis hits the c...
Croatian entry just got a little bit closer
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So it appears at least for this call from the Commission's employment office,CAST Croatia 2009Brussels, 21 January 2009A new Call for expression of interest for contract agents having Croatian citizenship and interested in working in the European Ins...
Anne-Marie Autissier: ‘Albania was the North Korea of its time’
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The French senior lecturer at the Institute of European Studies and former cultural attaché to Albania, 50, has her finger in every pie with one common factor: a cultural Europe...
Visa rank and the Western Balkans
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Earlier I wrote about political rights, citizen liberties and press freedom in Balkans (”Freedom in Balkans“). To travel from one country to other is a fundamental freedom restricted however more or less depending about which passport t...
