Stories about Eastern & Central Europe from October, 2013
Former Croatian President Mesic Says Tudjman and Milosevic Set Out to Divide Bosnia
Former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, who was in this office as Croatia's second President from 2000 to 2010, recently gave an interview for Serbian weekly NIN, in which he claims...
Meetup with Global Voices!
Throughout the months of November and December, we are organizing six global in-person 'meetups' led and facilitated by Global Voices members.
Russia's Demagogues Just Can't Get Along
Nationalist MP Vladimir Zhirinovsky ranted about natives of the North Caucasus on the popular debate show “The Duel” - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov took offence.
15-Year-Old Roma Girl's Deportation Shakes Up France's Immigration Debate
In the Leonarda deportation scandal, everything is controversial: the way in which the police acted, the media management of the scandal and the peculiarity of the family.
An Overview of Volgograd Bombing Anglophone Blogging
Misinformation disseminated online about the Volgograd bus bombing (which left at least six people dead on October 21) has raised the suspicions of Russia bloggers both Russophone and Anglophone.
Construction of 1 Billion Euro Resort Begins in Montenegro
Luštica Bay, near Tivat on the Montenegrin coast, is being developed by Swiss Orascom Development into a large-scale resort bay and marina. The resort is a colossal undertaking in the...
Serbia: Jovanka Broz, Widow of Tito, Dies Isolated and Forgotten
Jovanka Broz, widow of Tito, died in Belgrade on October 20, aged 88. In the decades since her husband's death, she led a reclusive life in Belgrade, forgotten and isolated.
Opposition MPs Suspect Foul Play as Croatia Airlines Prepares for Privatization
Some members of the Croatian parliament, all of different opposition parties, have voiced their concern in past days regarding safety issues that Croatia Airlines has had in recent weeks and,...
Hungarian Student Bloggers Win Lawsuit Against University
Bloggers of Átlátszó Oktatás (Transparent Education) sued the largest Hungarian university ELTE's Law Faculty in winter 2012, in order to obtain documents on how state scholarships and bonus payments were...
A Muslim Schoolgirl and the Volgograd Suicide Bombing
In the wake of the Volgograd bus bombing, a Muslim girl wrote a letter to the anonymous blogger hardingush. We chose to translate it in its entirety.
Wearing Putin's Insult as the Badge of Honor
The Greenpeace activists locked up in Murmansk may be suffering the worst luck of anyone in the ongoing scandal surrounding Russia's Arctic drilling, but they aren't the only ones hurting.
Overwhelmed by Syrian Refugees, Bulgaria Seeks EU Aid
Bulgaria, as the closest EU country to Syria, is seeing more than its fair share of the average 5,000 refugees that are fleeing Syria every day. Unprepared and inexperienced in...
Codeshare Request from Serbia's New Airline Met with US, EU Pushback
The oldest and largest airline trade association in the United States called the request bizarre. Serbian media has so far chosen to ignore the story.
The Suspended Martyrdom of Russia's Alexey Navalny
After his tumultuous guilty verdict and five-year prison sentence last July, a court recently suspended Alexey Navalny's sentence, leaving the Russian opposition's most prominent leader on probation but free.
Macedonia Imprisons Investigative Journalist For Reporting On Local Murder
Journalists and watchdog organizations are outraged by the sentencing of Macedonian journalist Tomislav Kezarovski to four and a half years in prison for an article he wrote.
In Wake of Suicide Bombing Russians Question Their Security
An explosion aboard a Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) commuter bus caused a stir in Russia’s blogosphere on Monday.
Slovakia's Roma Communities Significantly Bypassed by Development
Despite Slovakia's economic growth and integration into the European Union, the majority of the country's Roma population continues to live in abject poverty, receiving little to no education.
Tajiks Note that “Moscow Has Changed”
As Russians try to make sense of ethnic riots rocking Moscow, these developments are also carefully watched in Tajikistan where more than half of the population depends on money that...
The Crowd in the Machine
How we create images of crowds affects our understanding of them.
“Let Russians Sweep Their Own Streets”: Minorities Ponder Ethnic Violence
Non-ethnic Russians have been keen to express their views on the Biryulyovo riots online, using the language common to many of them - Russian.
Fake Beating Stunt on Serbian TV Draws Criticism from Journalists
The phony beating of a journalist appearing on Serbian sports TV network SOS Channel was meant to "raise awareness" of Serbia's football-related issues, according to the channel.