On November 23rd, Kosovo and Serbia negotiated a deal regarding license plate designations and usage. This has been an issue between both sides for over a year, causing conflict flare-ups in the form of protests and road blockages. Though a round of talks earlier in the week yielded no results,
One of the main roles of independent media is to provide perspectives on current events, political topics, and/or journalism reports in a more nuanced format, with less inherent biases compared to other available media outlets. In recent years, the changing social, political, and economic landscapes have increased the level of
Europe has faced substantial energy challenges during the past months, many of which are connected to the war in Ukraine. Sanctions and other measures imposed by the European Union and individual countries have reduced the continent’s strong dependence on Russian oil and gasoline. However, countries which rely more heavily on
The war in Ukraine has affected the flow of gas along the Nord Stream pipeline, and these effects are already reverberating across Europe. It has prompted countries such as Germany to call for less gas usage as it explores alternatives to Russian gas. As the cooler months approach, Europe continues
At the end of May, the Turkish parliament introduced the Press Law, prepared by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is meant to counter misinformation in the Turkish media and journalism sphere. Critics contend that the law is very broad in nature
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the security configuration in Europe has drastically changed. It has prompted applications to join the European Union (EU) from several countries in the region along with applications for NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Sweden and Finland, traditionally neutral countries, have submitted
In recent years, media freedom has become a point of concern for several countries in Central Europe. This has to do with trends in these regions where governments, increasingly populist in nature, seek more oversight over the media landscape and the journalists that operate within it. Such oversight includes more
Since the beginning of the Russo-Ukraine War, there are now more disinformation campaigns headed by Russian interests and entities. While there was already disinformation circulating in Southeastern Europe, the current war in Ukraine has only intensified the dissemination of pro-Russia narratives in the region. The sources of disinformation vary, though
Since the 1990s, Southeastern European countries have made significant progress in ensuring stability and transparency from the unrest after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Not all progress has been even, and in some countries, progress is reversing course. The general theme based on news and reports in recent years is that
Data leaks and cyberattacks are becoming increasingly frequent in southeastern Europe. One of the more recent examples is a data leak from Albania, which compromised the personal data of several thousands of Albanian citizens. This is also not the first data leak in the country; a similar incident took place
Since the six-week-long war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2020, the Russian-brokered ceasefire of November 2020 continues to hold, barring the occasional exchange of fire. However, much of the uneasy peace is contingent on cooperation from both sides and Russian mediation to prevent the deterioration of
Recently, the Polish judiciary system implemented changes that are of conflicting interest with those of the European Union. This is part of an ongoing dispute between Warsaw and the EU over the bloc’s laws in Poland, the extent of its reach in the country, and the goals of the country’s
A dispute over national license plate recognition between Serbia and Kosovo has escalated into a troubling situation involving border protests and military presence. Kosovo-Serbia tensions are not unprecedented. Both nations diverge in their views on Kosovo’s status as a country. This disagreement fulminated in the Kosovo War of the late
In 2012, Russian authorities enacted the “Foreign Agents” legislation. The law stated that any entity that receives funding from sources outside the country or that is engaged in “political activity” according to the Russian government, is considered a “foreign agent”. Since 2012, the legislation has been modified to include more
Several states from the European Union, including neighboring Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania, have accused Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko of illegally sending migrants into the E.U. The group claims that Lukashenko is acting in retaliation to the bloc’s sanctions over the disputed Belarusian presidential election of 2020, making migrants his political
On July 23rd, Bosnian High Representative Valentin Inzko imposed a constitutional amendment banning any denial of genocide in the country based on events of the 1992-1995 Bosnian war. The amendment not only intends to counter the glorification of war criminals and questioning of wartime facts by any individual of any
Bosnia-Herzegovina already had political, social, and economic issues before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, however, there are new issues with the national vaccination efforts, which include lacking an adequate vaccine supply, difficulty tracking who is vaccinated, and a fight against vaccine misinformation. These issues not only affect local progress but also
Over the past year, southeastern Europe has been deeply affected by the COVID public health emergency on various fronts, including the economy, the political environment, and society as a whole. This crisis has led to growing calls for economic reopening, growing resistance to public health measures, and an eagerness to
Kosovo elected reformist lawyer Vjosa Osmani as its new president in early April. President Osmani will serve alongside Prime Minister Albin Kurti as part of the ruling Vetëvendosje party, a reformist social-democratic organization. However, Kosovo is currently facing several challenges, ranging from a public health crisis to unresolved disputes with
Recently, Bulgaria announced the expulsion of two Russian diplomats after being declared personae non grata. This announcement came shortly after a recent investigation uncovered a spy ring. Relations between Russia and Bulgaria were already facing challenges as there have been similar incidents before, and these new developments are unlikely to
