Balkans
Jasmina Prpic: 'The problem is not the criminals, but the system'
Despite the hardships she has seen in her various roles as a judge, lawyer and a female - and fighting stories of her apparent death - the German-Bosnian says she is happier than ever before – especially considering the European movement in Germany (EBD) voted the 58-year-old 'woman of Europe' in 2012
Odin, Koreja: Europe's top multilingual, multicultural theatre
The Italian theatre company Koreja is inspired by the legendary performance art theatre, Odin Teatret. The Danish ‘company of exiles’ employs foreign actors come from all walks of life and agree on one philosophy: ‘always live a new life offstage’
balkans, italy, william shakespeare, theatre, festivals, poland, culture
Rough guide to Slovenian protests, 2012/2013
The revolution has reached Slovenia, in another stopover during its grand tour of Europe. Since November, a new social movement has demanded the resignation of the political elite, with the latest protests held on 31 January. Police claim they haven’t had to use this level of crowd control since the 1991 breakup of Yugoslavia
balkans, protest, corruption, democratisation, janez jansa, bosnia and herzegovina, croatia
Kosovo: five years old and under excavation
98 countries recognise Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Of those, 22 out of 27 countries in the European Union still do not, despite a 2010 resolution from the European parliament: Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania, and Greece. Life goes on - as best as it can. Visit to a morgue in Pristina
balkans, kosovo, defence, society, politics, european commission
Multicultural Slovenia: where did the minorities go?
In Slovenia, day-to-day interactions are fragmented. Casting aside the singular identity does not always imply the creation of multiple, different identities, but rather the birth of a dual identity: the idea of you and I, rather than them. This duality is among one of the first things you learn about on arrival in Ljubljana
balkans, europe, nationalism, immigration, european union, society, immigration
Book review: ‘The Accident’ by Ismail Kadare
Reading the Albanian writer’s 2010 novel is like drunkenly overhearing an argument between drunks: there is no stable perspective through which to filter the voices of the unreliable narrators
balkans, sex, best of cafebabel.com, yugoslavia, culture, albania, love
Watching 'How I Met Your Mother' in German, in Bosnia
Wherever you go in the Bosnian capital you can meet someone speaking in German, be it originally through couch-surfing, via facebook or hanging out by chance in a hip coffee shop or bar. Young former refugees who lived in the European union after the war represent a significant demographic of young Bosnians today, says German journalist Rabea Ottenhues
balkans, orient express, germany, bosnia and herzegovina, youth, sarajevo, war
Yugosla-Vienna? Rolling through Austrian capital's multifarious 'Yugosphere'
Vienna is a capital with multiple identities. The controversially-titled ‘Yugos’, Vienna's single largest migrant group from the former Yugoslavia, represent 10% of the total population. Migrants explain how ‘Yugo’ can be a cliché and pejorative label that marks out the community as different
Young students and expats: ‘Croatia house of cards without EU’
With just a year to go before the Balkan country joins the European union, young Croatians are sceptical about the benefits of membership to their careers
balkans, university, students, past enlargements, croatia, society, zagreb
Tennis, waterpolo, volleyball - secret to Serbia sports success runs in their blood
When the Serbs were part of the former Yugoslavia, they were always winning in competitive sports. Since 2001 the nation has seen four name changes, becoming simply 'Serbia' in 2006. Nevertheless, this hectic political history hasn’t drained the Balkan country of sportive energy in the slightest
Swiss, Slovenian, Swedish and Italian media on new nationalist Serbia president
The leader of the Serbian progressive party won a surprise victory against current pro-European president Boris Tadić in the presidential election on 20 May. Tomislav Nikolić's victory means the country's past is catching up with it, commentators write, fearing a major setback for EU enlargement
balkans, vote, belgrade, tomislav nikolic, nationalism, unemployment, boris tadic
Ethnic violence in Skopje: Macedonian magic circle
Attempts to raise inter-ethnic tensions escalated on 16 April when four twentysomething men and an older eyewitness were murdered near the capital, triggering riots. Since the victims are Slavic-speaking Macedonians, the speculation is that the murderers are from another ethnic group - but we don't need this boat to be rocked again
‘Hidden treasures of Europe’: comparing Balkans, Turkey to EU in one minute
‘So similar, So different, So European.’ A dreamy promotional video released in February 2012 compares the EU, Turkey and Balkan in a touristic and utopian bubble. Is Belgrade really like Paris? Six young Balkan voices react
balkans, greece, enlargement, youth, albania, candidate countries, european union
