A press review presented in partnership with The Balkan Courier.
Two days before the presidential election in Turkey, the ballot is more uncertain than ever, between outgoing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his main opponent, the candidate of Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. If the latest polls have the two men neck and neck, the minorities oppressed in recent years are voting for change. The Kurdish community of Diyarbakir leans strongly in favor of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, without having too many illusions about his promises. And in Istanbul, LGBT+ communities hope better recognition of their rights in the event of an alternation of power. The Fatih district of Istanbul, on the contrary, remains loyal to President Erdoğan, despite the inflation that weighs on the economy.
Impossible political change in Albania
Voters in Albania are called to municipal elections on Sunday but the opposition’s chances are slim. Has it become impossible to change through the ballot box the increasingly monolithic regime established by Prime Minister Edi Rama, with the complicity of Westerners? The analysis of the Albanian writer and dissident Fatos Lubonja.
Emotion in Serbia
Serbian citizens are still in shock after the shootings last week. On May 9, tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Belgrade and other towns in Serbia, demanding the closure of media outlets that propagate a culture of violence, but also the resignation of the Minister of the Interior. President Vučić responded by blaming the opposition.
The Balkan countries are among those on the continent with the most weapons in circulation. Due to its geographical position, Slovenia is in the center of traffic routes to Western Europe.
Citizen anger in Bosnia and Herzegovina
High Representative Christian Schmidt used his special powers to have a government formed in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. But for Bosnian activists, this interventionism plays into the hands of ethno-nationalist parties, notably that of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). The ReStart Movement calls for citizen revolt. Meanwhile, six streets named after Ustashi World War II dignitaries have been renamed in Mostar, under pressure from representatives of the European Union and the United States and United Kingdom.
A strange attack in Bulgaria
An explosion sounded on May 1 during the passage of the procession of the Attorney General of Bulgaria, Ivan Guechev. Attempted attack or staging intended to whitewash the reputation of a very controversial magistrate, and also very close to former Prime Minister Borissov? The police remain cautious for the time being, but tongues could loosen in the coming weeks…