The Socialists’ streamlined political machine and controversial patronage system won them a third election victory – but have worrying implications for democracy, experts say. As Albanian election officials were busy counting ballots cast in Albania’s April 25 parliamentary elections last week, one name popped up in the media as a …

With a parliamentary majority proving elusive, Bulgaria appears destined for another election. That’s about all anyone can predict with any degree of certainty. Uncertainty is the only certainty in Bulgarian politics these days. Since an inconclusive election on April 4, both the winner – long-time ruling party GERB – and …

The fact that territorial changes in the Balkan region are becoming a reoccurring debate suggest that these dangerous ideas are gaining traction, even within the EU. Much has already been said about the now infamous “non-paper” apparently composed by Slovenia’s Prime Minister, Janez Jansa, which mulls the possible partition of …