A press review presented in partnership with The Balkan Courier.
The general elections will take place on 21st May in Greece, but an uncertain period is likely to begin in the coming months. If the simple proportional vote does not produce a majority, the Greeks will be again called to the polls beginning of July. The left-wing party Syriza, favorite in the polls, nevertheless wants to believe in the formation of a progressive coalition with the social-democratic party PaSoK, the third political force.
Since the tragic train accident which killed 57 people in February, including many students, the Greek political scene has been in turmoil. New Democracy, the conservative party of Prime Minister Kyriákos Mitsotakis is finger pointing for the mismanagement of the railways and its austerity policy. In recent months, thousands of Greeks have demonstrated in Athens. Among them, many young people who have to combine several jobs to get by and stay with their parents after 30 years. They dream of leaving, in search of a better life.
Anger is particularly strong among thousands of young seasonal workers who leave every year to work on the islands. No device has been provided by the government to allow them to vote at their place of work or remotely. ” The youth no longer want this government, they vote on the left, we made it clear during the demonstrations “says Spyros, a 25-year-old chef. ” In this context, the Conservative Party can only be happy that some of us cannot vote, but it is a shame for democracy. »
Serbia: after the mass killings, how to cure the violence?
Serbia is still in shock, two weeks after the two shootings that killed 18 people, including children. Citizen revolt against violence calls for a collective catharsis, but the regime of President Aleksandar Vučić refuses any self-criticism. He tries to discredit the vast movement of anger by accusing opposition parties and NGOs that support him of ” political recovery “. Three rallies have already taken place in Belgrade. Reporting.
Belgrade and Skopje airports, regional hubs for human trafficking, migrant smuggling and drug smuggling. This emerges from a new report of the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, published on 15 May. The report also claims that there is evidence of corruption at Balkan airports, ranging from petty bribes offered to security staff to embezzlement and mismanagement of public funds by senior officials and management.
Floods: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia under water again
As severe floods hit Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia are again under water after a week of heavy rains. Closure of roads, landslides, evacuation of the population… The authorities and the local populations fear a repetition of the dark scenario of the fatal floods of 2014. Overview.
In Moldova, a new pro-Russian governor has been appointed to lead Gagauzia. On May 14, Evghenia Guțul became the ninth governor of Gagauzia, an autonomous region in southern Moldova. A novice in politics, this 37-year-old lawyer, member of the Șor Party, will however have to deal with serious accusations of corruption of which her training is the subject and of bad relations with the central power of Chișinău. Analysis.
Eurovision: the Balkans still not in tune
Reduced by the withdrawals from North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Montenegro, the Balkan countries ended in the depths of the ranking of the 67ᵉ edition of the Eurovision Song Contest won by Sweden on May 13. Croatia, the best representative of the region, finished thirteenth out of the twenty-six finalists.