Balkans

Conflict Trends Update

TÜRKIYE-GREECE President Erdoğan accused Athens of militarising what should be demilitarised Eastern Aegean islands, threatened to “do what was necessary”, and warned of a “heavy price” should Greece harass Turkish F-16 fighter jets. The latter warning follows Ankara’s accusation that Greece in August used the Russian-supplied S300 air defence system …

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Turkey, Greece escalate war of words as they drag in EU, NATO

The Turkish and Greek foreign ministers write dueling letters to key international actors as leaders exchange barbs after Erdogan’s one-liner that Turkey “can come suddenly one night.” The volatile waters of the Aegean Sea heated up again as Athens and Ankara sent dueling letters to the United Nations, the European …

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Passport Privilege: Turkish Fraudster’s Route To Honorary Greek Citizenship – Analysis

In September last year, when the mother and younger brother of Greek-Nigerian NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo were granted honorary Greek citizenship in a special ceremony in Athens, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was in attendance. When historian Mark Mazower received the honour in January, Interior Minister Makis Voridis was present, while …

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Virus Balkanicus – Fascist Chauvinism (XIII): Public Relations Officers Of FEAR – Essay

What always astonishing me was and it is a double face and hypocrisy of exactly every politician on the political scene on the area of former Socialist Federal Republic Yugoslavia (SFRJ or just ex-Yugoslavia). Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo…, are the places where live people …

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Griechenlands Weg in die Autokratie

Premier Mitsotakis gibt sich als Reformer, der Griechenland saniert. Tatsächlich regiert er zunehmend wie ein Autokrat. Die EU muss einschreiten. Diesen Sommer haben Millionen Europäerinnen und Europäer wieder die hellen Seiten Griechenlands erlebt, die Sonne, die Strände, die Gastfreundschaft. Griechenland ist eines der beliebtesten Ziele für Touristinnen und Touristen in …

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Παρακμή και εκτροπή

Η χθεσινή παρουσία του πρωθυπουργού στη Βουλή ήταν τραγική. Κι αυτό γιατί ήταν ομολογία και αποκάλυψη της απόλυτης πολιτικής παρακμής. Ο άνθρωπος που διοικεί τη χώρα δεν ήταν σε θέση να εγγυηθεί τη δημοκρατική νομιμότητα, απέφυγε να δώσει ουσιαστικές και πειστικές απαντήσεις στα καίρια ερωτήματα της αντιπολίτευσης, κατέφευγε διαρκώς σε …

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U Srbiji to nitko ne smije javno izgovoriti, ali Vučić je de facto priznao Kosovo

Kad bismo u jednoj rečenici trebali sažeti što je sve napravio u istom danu, ona bi glasila ovako: Prvo je de facto priznao Kosovo, potom je zabranio Europride, istovremeno imenujući Anu Brnabić za novu-staru mandatarku Vlade. I sad svi pričaju o toj zabrani koja jeste bitna stvar, a gotovo nitko …

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The Western Balkans need a problem-solver, not a facilitator

Another round of discussions between Serbia and Kosovo ended inconclusively Thursday in Brussels, even as tensions between the two countries continue to spiral. The stakes are high: Violence almost erupted two weeks ago in the north of Kosovo, with local Serbs raising barricades and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić warning that …

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Albanian Ex-President Meta’s Comeback Greeted with Scepticism

Albania’s former President Ilir Meta’s return to frontline politics did not come as a surprise to anyone, but some doubt that his newly rebranded party will be able to compete successfully with well-entrenched Prime Minister Edi Rama. Aday after leaving the presidential office, Ilir Meta delivered a political comeback speech …

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