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Eleven years after Croatia’s integration on July 1, 2013, theEuropean Union says it is ready to reopen its doors to the Western Balkan countries, pressured by the war in Ukraine and the conflict at GazaThis is in any case what the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised, after being reappointed for the next five years.
In the new European Commission, the enlargement portfolio has been entrusted to Slovenian Marta Kos, even before receiving approval from the authorities of his countryBut after 10 years of waiting in the EU antechamber, is the integration of the Western Balkans still possible? Analysis by our correspondent in Brussels.
Also readWith the arrival of an Italian far-right MP, the European Commission is taking a deliberate turn to the right
Storm Boris: “These floods have finished us off”
As torrential rains hit theItaly and that the Hungary In turn, Romania is fearing uncontrolled flooding and is struggling to gauge the extent of the disaster. More than 20,000 people have been affected and at least eight have died in the 26 affected localities in the Galați county and 12 in the Vaslui county. Reporting from Radio Europa Liberă.
In Bulgaria, NGO of defense of human rights are concerned about the trivialization of harassment measures, intimidation and violence carried out by the police against migrants and the associations that help them. On the front line to protect the EU’s external borders, the country is pursuing a repressive policy based on deterrence. Even if it means ignoring the laws. Reporting from our correspondent in Sofia.
Also readFascines, swales, hedges… these ancestral natural solutions to better deal with floods
Return from military service in Croatia and Serbia
After the Croatiawhich announced this summer the return of conscription from January 1, 2025, the Serbia is following suit. On September 14, during the promotion ceremony for young officers in the Serbian army, President Aleksandar Vučić announced that he had signed the bill reintroducing the 75-day compulsory military service, abandoned since 2011. The two neighboring countries are citing current tensions as the reason for this change of direction.
In Belgrade, Mayor Aleksandar Šapić has caused controversy. He announced that he wanted to rid the Serbian capital of Tito’s remains and all monuments to communism in order to erect a monument in honor of the Chetnik leader. This rewriting the pastannounced during his campaign for the municipal elections last spring, is going badly.
Also readMilitary service to return in Serbia soon
Outdated schools and overtourism in Greece
There Greece welcomed 32.7 million tourists in 2023, 18% more than in 2022, and the Ministry of Tourism predicts a new record for 2024. Faced with growing discontent among locals, the government has decided to take measures against overtourism. Explanations from our correspondent in Athens.
The Greek government has begun to tackle another thorny issue: national education. Public schools, built before the mid-1980s, are in a pitiful state for many: the economic crisis has long delayed the necessary work. To bring them up to standard, the conservative government has announced a major €500 million plan. But parents ask for more.
Also readPopulation decline in Greece: “We do not have children mainly for economic reasons”
In Romania, the scourge of school dropouts
A quarter of young Romanians, a third of them in rural areas, are not in school. A figure which places the Romania in last place in the European Union in terms of schooling. Despite European funds, the State is struggling to act to stop this phenomenon. However, isolated initiatives are proving effective. Reporting.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the National Library is in danger. At the end of August, the Vijećnica temporarily closed its doors due to lack of money in the coffers. Since the end of the war, almost 30 years ago, the ” institutions of national importance ” no longer have a recognized legal status and struggle to make ends meet. A permanent crisis, symbol of the country’s divisions. EExplanations from our correspondent in Sarajevo.
Also readAccents of Europe: in Romania, a balcony on the war
Međugorje, the obstinate nihil of Pope Francis
It is one of the top tourist destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovinawith over a million visitors annually. Since 1981, the Virgin Mary has regularly appeared to six Croats from the village of Međugorje, near Mostar. Faced with the enthusiasm of the Catholic faithful, the Vatican set up a commission, whose work was completed in early 2014. Ten years later, the case is theoretically closed. The Vatican does not recognize the supernatural nature of Marian apparitions, but believes that the ” spiritual fruits ” are positive. Clearly, nothing stands in the way of the continuation of pilgrimages.
Have you heard of picigin? For a century, this ball game has been the pride of the Croatians of Split. Every summer, picigin fans meet on the beach of Bačvice and compete in skill, in water up to mid-calf. A classified tradition, which has even skillfully dribbled past European regulations. Our correspondent from Zagreb explains the rules and history of the game.
Also readIn the news: Bosnia and Herzegovina faces the challenge of welcoming exiles with dignity