Balkans

As a European Union and NATO member that borders Turkey, hugs the Black Sea coast and maintains cordial relations with Russia, Bulgaria is a strategically significant country. Yet in recent years, it has rarely made international news—except for the occasional domestic clash over Russian influence and periodic mass protests over …

A Bulgarian prosecutor provided evidence to the court handling Hezbollah’s involvement in the Burgas bus bombing. A Bulgarian prosecutor provided detailed evidence to the Bulgarian court handling Hezbollah’s involvement in the 2012 Burgas bus bombing which killed five Israelis and their Bulgarian-Muslim bus driver, but the court refused to accept …

Germany’s unilateral push to appoint a new High Representative in Bosnia has angered Russia, with direct ramifications for the EU’s military mission and the stability of the country. In the end, Germany got their man. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Peace Implementation Council, PIC, has approved the nomination of German parliamentarian Christian …

A BIRN data analysis shows that Albania’s ruling Socialists dominated the social media campaign before the country’s last parliamentary election. Experts worry about the effect on public debate and democracy. The crowd cheered and online viewers held their breath as the plane glided in to land at the Zayed-North Wings …

Many people in the Balkans see cryptocurrency trading as a means to make money fast. Others are hooked on the philosophy. Stefan Angelovski starts his day with a cup of coffee and a browse online at which cryptocurrencies to buy and which to sell. The 33-year-old former fitness trainer in …

A marginalised Muslim Roma border community is courted by Greece and Turkey, seeking to advance their strategic interests. The rain had stopped and the sky had begun to clear. One of the women mopped the patio while the others smoked and wondered about the coronavirus, if it really was as …

BIRN lifts the lid on the Bosnian Movement of National Pride, a secretive organisation promoting neo-Nazi Bosniak nationalism. Emir finally felt comfortable enough to place on the table the sheets of paper he had folded and hid under his jacket. The pages contained promotional material of a far-right organisation he …

Data analysed by BIRN shows that most Albanian broadcasters broke rules by allocating more airtime to the ruling Socialist Party in the run-up to April’s parliamentary election, but they escaped sanction. In fining Albania’s public broadcaster, RTSH, for violating a ban on campaign coverage on the eve of the country’s …

The synergies between the Gulf and the eastern Mediterranean theaters have grown substantially in recent years. Speaking at a meeting in Paphos, Cyprus in mid-April 2021 with his counterparts from Greece and Israel, as well as the former minister of state for foreign affairs of the UAE (now an advisor …

Croatia will procure 12 used French F3R Rafale fighter jets to modernise the country’s airforce, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced on Friday. “This is the largest investment in the Croatian Armed Forces, the largest investment in ensuring lasting peace and the security of Croatian citizens,” the Prime Minister said referencing …