Miša Bačulov is a Thai boxing champion, philanthropist, activist and, since 2024, a councilor in the Novi Sad City Assembly. Today, he is one of the most prominent figures of the opposition against Vučić. We met with Bačulov shortly before his arrest
The lack of territorial integrity of Cyprus – an EU member state since 2004 – has never been a vital issue for the Union, but this could change in the case of the three new candidate countries. An interview with Denis Cenușa, associate expert at the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center
In this double interview between Serbia and Croatia, we talk to two experts about the state of the wolf population, until recently a strictly protected species in the EU, now degraded and potentially huntable. However, in Serbia, where wolves have always been hunted, the situation does not seem to be getting worse
To protect the marine ecosystems of the Adriatic, concrete policies are needed, shared by all the countries bordering this sea. Often, these results are achieved thanks to bottom-up transnational cooperation initiatives. An interview
Threatened by mass tourism, unsustainable environmental practices and climate change, mountains are subject of transnational cooperation between six countries in the frame of the PROMONT project. An interview
In the Southern Adriatic, cross-border cooperation provides essential value added for protecting biodiversity. Shared and coordinated conservation actions between multiple countries are a strategic response to environmental challenges that transcend political boundaries
American journalist and activist Peter Lippman has a profound knowledge of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has been following the political and post-war situation in the country for years now. Recently, he has taken a particular interest in the environmental movements that are sweeping the whole region
An in-depth interview with Luka Zanoni, editor-in-chief of OBCT, collected by the Bosnian portal Buka: from political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the hypocrisy of EU policy towards South-Eastern Europe, passing through the student protests in Serbia as a possible turning point
From education to workforce retraining, national programmes can attract investment and support the development of disadvantaged areas. An interview with Zornitsa Roussinova, President of the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria
Overcoming the controversial legacies of the past and finding a new role, between education on respect for nature and conservation of endangered species: the challenge for Bulgarian zoos in this interview
From the role of literature in today’s world to the nature of the creative process, passing through his hometown of Durrës and the experience of migration, following the red thread of sea, an all-encompassing metaphor for life. An interview with Albanian writer Arian Leka
EU funds can have a real impact on the lives of citizens and local communities, provided they are spent taking into account the specific needs of each territory. Interview with Jasna Gabrič, former mayor of Trbovlje
With her collective, Alina Tofan organizes performances in rural areas of Romania to raise environmental awareness and rediscover a sense of community. She invites colleagues from around the world to demonstrate that the green transition can be a just one, even in their own country
The absence of EU flags at anti-government demonstrations shows that accession has become a divisive issue in the candidate country. Interview with Srđan Majstorović, president of the board of the European Policy Centre (CEP)
The temptation to centralise the management of EU cohesion funds is a mistake, argues economist Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, who has edited a report on the future of this policy for the European Commission. An interview
Ahead of the discussions on the future EU budget, we interviewed Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, on the principles that should guide the way cohesion funds are delivered
Journalists across Europe are often subjected to subtle forms of pressure and intimidation, including vexatious lawsuits frequently initiated by influential politicians or businesspeople. Blerjana Bino, Executive Director of SCiDEV and Researcher at the SafeJournalists Network, provides insight into the situation in the country
Amid a systematic erosion of editorial independence by the government, stronger international support is needed to uphold media freedom in the country. An interview with Igor Božić, news director of the independent N1 TV
Anthropologist Anca Danilă is the creator of the project Caiete de rețete (Recipe Notebooks), launched in Bucharest two years ago, which aims to collect family recipe books, archive them in a digital database and thus protect a precious heritage
The disconnect between the younger generation and traditional media, the struggles to hold public institutions accountable, and the urgent need for a syndicate to protect journalists’ rights. These are just some of the challenges that the media sector has to face in Albania. An interview
In an unexpected move, the Turkish political establishment has once again sent signals of openness to the Kurdish armed struggle. But what are the deep reasons behind this strategy? We asked sociologist Mesut Yeğen
Chapter 22 on cohesion policy is one of the most complex negotiating chapters Serbia has to deal with for EU accession. In this interview, Dragana Djurica provides crucial insights into the critical role of civil society, the importance of regional development, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead
Lufti Dervishi, a founding member of the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, emphasises the challenges that Albanian journalism faces today. The media are entangled in corruption, self-censorship, and state-sponsored disinformation. However, not everything is negative, and there is still reason for hope
The energy sector in Bulgaria is going through a phase of profound transformation, between the need to proceed with decarbonisation and that of freeing itself from traditional ties with Russia. We talked about it in Sofia with expert Kostantsa Rangelova
An innovative library, created with EU cohesion funds, in the former industrial area of Rijeka, now redeveloped and transformed into an authentic artistic district. We met the director of Rijeka City Library Niko Cvjetković
César Campoy, a writer and journalist originally from Valencia, Spain, is one of the leading experts on the Balkan region in his country. We met him in his hometown before he left for the Balkans. His "Balkan Odyssey", published in Spain last April, is already in its second edition
"We must go beyond the idea that the Western Balkans are a sort of ghetto made up of non-EU countries. This would contribute not only to the Europeanisation of the Western Balkans, but also to overcoming some disagreements between candidate countries and EU member states". Ana Krstinovska, founder and president of the think tank Estima based in Bitola, in North Macedonia and research fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)
Media outlets in the country are increasingly exposed to cyber attacks, online threats and manipulations. We talked about digital security and its impact on independent journalism in Serbia with Bojan Perkov, digital policy coordinator at SHARE Foundation
Ado Hasanović, a director of Bosnian origin living in Italy, interviewed on his way back from Cannes, talks about his next projects, which also directly involve his Srebrenica. An interview
Almost non-existent professional ethics, capture of the media by politics and financial unsustainability are just some of the main issues that make the Albanian media landscape particularly alarming. An interview
