A press review presented in partnership with The Balkan Courier.
4 mins
The lightning offensive, launched by the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) against pro-Assad forces in Syria, has caused much discussion in Turkey. Since 2022, Ankara has indeed wanted a rapprochement with Damascus. Last July, the Turkish president even said he was ready to welcome Bashar al-Assad. However, the Syrian president has made any negotiation conditional on the withdrawal of Turkish troops from his territory. “ Assad, who did not take the hand that President Erdoğan persistently extended to him for a year, is paying the price for his mistake », Estimates the pro-government press. Press review from our correspondent in Istanbul.
Explosion in Kosovo, repressions in Serbia
An explosion destroyed the Ibar-Lepenac canal in northern Kosovo on November 29, risking depriving part of the population of drinking water and electricity. The authorities in Pristina immediately accused Serbia, even citing Moscow’s responsibility. On the Western side, reactions play it safe.
In Serbia, the standoff continues between the demonstrators and the “black shirts” of Aleksandar Vucic’s government. The Serbian president openly displays his contempt for the demonstrators who have been camping for weeks at the foot of the Old Bridge over the Sava, in the heart of Belgrade. They refuse to allow the historic building to be destroyed in the name of modernization and without a viable alternative. Their mobilization is hampered by hundreds of hooded men sent by the government to provoke incidents. Reporting.
In Romania, after the legislative elections, the promise of instability
It is an atomized Parliament which emerges from the legislative elections of December 1st. A week after the breakthrough of “anti-system” candidate Calin Georgescu, the traditional parties save the day. The social democrats of the PSD come firstahead of the far-right AUR party. The liberals of the PNL and the USR are resisting, but two other nationalist groups will enter Parliament.
In total, seven parties will be represented, including three from the far right. Some are already talking about a big “pro-European” coalition to ensure the stability of institutions while the second round of the presidential election, on December 8, promises to be very delicate. Decryption.
Schengen and Frontex
It’s the end of an endless soap opera. On December 12, the Council of the European Union must ratify the full membership of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen area, from January 1, 2025. This lifting of land borders could redefine political and commercial throughout south-eastern Europe. Analysis.
With the borders locked, violence rages on the Balkan route. Frontex, the European border guard agency, welcomes the drop in “illegal crossings” in the Western Balkans. On the ground, however, humanitarians note that the security approach strengthens the trafficking gangs and increase THE violence.
Anger in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the cost of living
In Bosnia-Herzegovina, it is time to take stock of the European force Eufor. The mission took office on December 1, 2004. Twenty years later, 1,500 European soldiers continue to “keep the peace” in Bosnia-Herzegovina that is more politically divided than ever. The contingent has doubled since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Is its mandate now threatened? Analysis.
How to survive when taxes rise, wages stagnate and products in supermarkets are more expensive than in the European Union countries where they come from? In Sarajevo, hundreds of demonstrators expressed their anger in front of the institutions in the face of a situation that they consider unbearable. Anger spreads in other cities in the country, such as Mostar or Banja Luka.
In Greece, Thessaloniki dreams of renewal
Greece’s second city has been dreaming of it since the end of the 1980s. On November 30, Thessaloniki finally inaugurated its metro, with great fanfare and relief. Residents hope for a new start for their city, tortured by the endless economic crisis. Reporting.
The Syriza party has a new leader. But the left-wing formation, now overtaken by the socialist PaSok party, must rebuild itself after several months of internal fractures and incidents. Mission Impossible for Sokrátis Fámellos, MP for Thessaloniki, who takes over the reins of Syriza?