Yugoslavia fell apart in bloody conflicts 33 years ago. Today, three decades later, children born after the time of evil unite the region with protests for the rule of law
"Today, the discourse on the Balkans focuses on corruption and poverty. For example, if you read the news, even when Bulgaria is presented as an attractive tourist destination, it will always be described as 'the poorest country'. That adjective cannot be omitted. Of course, Bulgarians are now waiting for a poorer country to join the European Union so that they can finally stop being the 'poorest'. Poverty is criminalized, it is considered something bad, almost a moral flaw"
The results of research by the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation reveal that economic security is a key priority for young people across the Balkans. Their concern for stable jobs and a good standard of living prevails
Any virtual arms race deprives the region of the possibility of development and wastes the heritage of the young generation. Purchases such as the Rafal aircraft or the HIMARS artillery-missile system represent only a budgetary expense that does not fundamentally contribute to the level of security, and takes away the possibility of development in many other areas. These acquisitions of aircraft far exceed the financial capabilities of both Croatia and Serbia
Thirty years after the war, more than 11.000 missing persons are still being searched for in the Balkan region. In recent years, the search process has slowed down, and politics is responsible for that
An unprecedented failure of the power system on Friday caused a blackout in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Albania. There is still no official information on the cause of the failure, but it is suspected that it was caused by irrational consumption of electricity
A large fire on a 400-kilowatt transmission line in inaccessible terrain on the Montenegrin border with Bosnia and Herzegovina caused a power outage in the countries of the region.
Failure to report violence can lead to a fatal outcome. That is why the Citizen's Protector appeals to everyone to immediately report knowledge, as well as any suspicion that violence against women has occurred or is occurring in their vicinity or surroundings.
In the Balkan countries, there are noticeable problems caused on the one hand by emigration and the drop in the number of newborns, and on the other by immigration from Asia, for which these countries are not ready
Vučić is a strongman who should prevent geopolitical chaos in the Balkans and ensure a pleasant investment climate. In return, they must destroy democracy so that only a facade remains, the respected Zidojce Zeitung assesses
Daily shootings, murders, massive money laundering... The Turkish Minister of the Interior has started a fight against mafias from all over the world who have settled in this country. Among them are the infamous clans from Montenegro and Serbia
The results of the latest PISA test for 2022 showed that students from Serbia are below the OECD average in math, reading and scientific literacy. Professor of the Serbian language and member of the education union Nezavisnost Vesna Vojvodić Mitrović tells the "Vremena" portal that the elation at progress, expressed in the announcement of the Government of Serbia, is not only inappropriate but also intrusive.
Throughout the Western Balkans, women are harassed, raped, beaten and killed. The perpetrators are usually their partners. Most countries in our region have adopted appropriate laws and regulations to combat violence against women, but their implementation is still inconsistent, say activists. Even after repeated reports of violence, competent institutions do not react adequately, and women remain unprotected
Serbia is the entry point for Russian propaganda in the Western Balkans, said American coordinator James Rubin at the State Department's Center for Global Engagement.
Ruined villas with gardens and neglected fortresses from the Austro-Hungarian period testify that even Istria, the most civilized part of the once common state, is not immune to the ills of the post-communist societies of the Balkans.
"The US sanctions the pro-Russian head of the Serbian intelligence service for corruption", "The US sanctions the top Serbian security official for actions that support the 'malign activities' of Russia", are some of the numerous headlines
NATO leaders adopted a new "Strategic Concept" on the first day of the summit, in which it is emphasized that "the Western Balkans and the Black Sea region are of strategic importance for the Atlantic Alliance." Finland and Sweden resolved their differences with Turkey, which opened the way for the admission of these two countries to NATO
"Tito's Yugoslavia had countless problems, but it did not want to be passive and provincial, but wanted to take things outside the scope. She gathered the third world, she had something to say on behalf of those countries. Today, our diplomats fail to use the tools that could make them important, such as, say, membership in the EU, but also being in the Balkans, the fact that we know and understand that area, that we live together. But it's not just a matter of people. The mentality has changed - there is a general cowardice of nations that at the same time see themselves as champions of nationalism."
Although his political opponents would like it to happen to him, the Serbian president is far from the prison fate that befell many of his colleagues from the region. Unlike them, he seems to have more luck, as he has far more control in his hands
In a moment of crisis of historic proportions, the European Union managed to agree on a joint response of all 27 member states to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. No one expected that, least of all Vladimir Putin. We should not rule out the possibility that this new reshuffle of the EU will bring about a change in the current paradigm towards the Balkans
Since the politicians are silent on their noise, they also announce a large joint blockade in front of the building of the Government of Montenegro in Podgorica for Thursday, February 13. The blockade will last almost six and a half hours - from 11 a.m. to 17:26 p.m., it was announced on the organization's Facebook profile. Montenegrin students have 10 requirements. The first among them are the resignations of the Minister of Police and the Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense. The students demand the confiscation and destruction of all illegal and concealed weapons, as well as stricter penalties for illegal possession and carrying of weapons. Regional support When the students in Serbia blocked the faculties and took to the streets, they soon gained the support of their fellow citizens, and so far protests have been organized at least once in almost all places in Serbia. One hundred days have passed since the fall of the canopy in Novi Sad, and the country is on its feet and a new big rally is being prepared in Kragujevac, on Sretenje, February 15. In the meantime, students received support from Skopje, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Podgorica, Banja Luka, Zagreb, numerous other places throughout the former Yugoslav republics, from the Croatian islands. They are also supported by the inhabitants of numerous European and world metropolises, with different gatherings of silence and noise. In silence and noise, students hold lectures these months, on the streets, squares, bridges, in front of state institutions, they demand justice and the rule of law, they walk, they run marathons and no promises and speeches stop them in their demands. "News", tags: "Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Students, Student blockades, Student protests", access_level: access_level, article_type: "news", reader_type: reader_type }; (function (d, s) { var sf = d.createElement(s); sf.type = 'text/javascript'; sf.async = true; sf.src = (('https:' == d.location.protocol) ? 'https://d2025d02cf10e13d06-42dfc7b3fd2b81bfce.ssl.cf293050033.rackcdn.com' : 'http://t.contentinsights.com') + '/stf.js'; var t = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[3]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(sf, t); })(document, 'script'); dataLayer.push({ 'event': 'Pageview', 'pagePath': url, 'pageTitle': 'From Vardar to Triglav: How students unite the post-Yugoslav states', 'pageContent': 'Their weapons are banners, whistles, silence, noise and demands. They are and students and they managed to raise and unite the region in a way that no politician in the post-war years was able to do. One could say - in spite of the politicians. The fall of the canopy in Novi Sad in which 15 people died, two mass murders in Cetinje, 27 people died in floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina - these are events which in recent months have brought tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of residents of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the streets. They are led by students, and one of the demands is responsibility for all these tragedies and the desire for justice to reign. And not only these countries are on their feet, support for students in Serbia and their demands comes from Europe and the world, as well as from neighboring countries, former compatriots. And students from Serbia and their professors support the demands of colleagues from other countries. Thus, they caused a regional storm and alarmed all those whose politics is based on fueling disputes and separation. Their storm and rebellion from the storms at the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century, which destroyed the country and separated the neighbors, distinguish their commitment to peace, solidarity and mutual support. And the storm of positive emotions that all this causes. All of them are connected by a basic desire - to rule the law in the countries where they live and study. The thread that unites them is the demand for responsibility for the acts that cause them to take to the streets, but also the assumption of responsibility for numerous other events, corruption, and crime in the countries they are from. They seek justice and want to live in fairer states. "Will that change happen?" While students from Novi Sad are running to Belgrade on Monday, calling for the next protest to be held in Kragujevac on Saturday, February 15, their colleagues in Sarajevo are gathering in front of the parliament building in the first protest for the people of Jablanica. Under the slogan "Do you want change", an informal group of students from Bosnia and Herzegovina is calling for protests due to the situation in which the residents of Jablanica, the surroundings of Fojnica and Konjice have been brought after the deadly floods in October 2024, when 29 people died, including two babies.View this post on Instagram
They believe that the top of the state is the right address to which they should turn, because the lower levels of authority and jurisdiction of entities, cantons and municipalities, they believe, are not adequate places where they seek justice. "This is not just an accident - this is the result of systemic negligence and incompetence of those who are obliged to protect the lives of citizens. Enough waiting!", reads the call to protest published on the organization's Instagram page. In addition to the lack of answers about the causes of the accident, the state's assistance to the people of Jablani is delayed, and the local community is left to fend for itself, they add. "This carelessness towards human lives must not go unpunished! We demand the responsibility of everyone who made an appointment, from local to state institutions! Let's not let this tragedy be forgotten! Justice for Jablanica - justice for Bosnia and Herzegovina!", stated in the invitation to the gathering. The reason and motive for calling for protests is the situation in which the residents of Jablanica, the surroundings of Fojnica and Konjice have been brought. "Where to tomorrow?" - For 23 minutes of noise for 23 victims In two mass murders - at the beginning of 2025 and in the summer of 2022, 23 people were killed in Cetinje. In the last few days, noise has been dedicated to each of those people on the streets of towns in Montenegro. The informal group of Montenegrin students "Kamo sjutra" has been organizing 4 minutes of noise every day for the victims since February 23. They block the streets, and the locations of the blocks are announced the day before. Their noise starts at 17:26, and on Monday, February 10, they will block the streets of Nikšić and Cetinje.View this post on Instagram
Since the politicians are silent on their noise, they also announce a large joint blockade in front of the building of the Government of Montenegro in Podgorica for Thursday, February 13. The blockade will last almost six and a half hours - from 11 a.m. to 17:26 p.m., it was announced on the organization's Facebook profile. Montenegrin students have 10 requirements. The first among them are the resignations of the Minister of Police and the Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense. The students demand the confiscation and destruction of all illegal and concealed weapons, as well as stricter penalties for illegal possession and carrying of weapons. Regional support When the students in Serbia blocked the faculties and took to the streets, they soon gained the support of their fellow citizens, and so far protests have been organized at least once in almost all places in Serbia. One hundred days have passed since the fall of the canopy in Novi Sad, and the country is on its feet and a new big rally is being prepared in Kragujevac, on Sretenje, February 15. In the meantime, students received support from Skopje, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Podgorica, Banja Luka, Zagreb, numerous other places throughout the former Yugoslav republics, and from the Croatian islands. They are also supported by the inhabitants of numerous European and world metropolises, with different gatherings of silence and noise. With silence and noise, students hold lectures these months, on streets, squares, bridges, in front of state institutions, demand justice and the rule of law, walk, run marathons and no promises and addresses stop them in their demands.', 'pageDate': '2025-02-10 13:06:42', 'pageAuthor': authors, 'visitorType': visitor_type, }); console.log(post_id); console.log('Pushed'); });View this post on Instagram
