‘Country is a Place in Your Heart’
For Georgia’s first country singer, the genre has a universal language that surpasses geography. From OC Media.
Commentary
Why Holding Elections Now May Not Be the Best for Ukraine
Ukraine’s next election is essential for its democratic future, but holding one while the country is still under attack by Russia may undermine the exact democracy it’s meant to preserve. From The Conversation.
The War Criminal Is Dead, but Lies About the Heroic General Live On
Mladic never admitted guilt, and his defense was chillingly simple: “I fought for my nation.”
Opinion: A Partnership Whose Time Has Come
Bulgaria, Albania, and Kosovo enjoy relations that are unhindered by the types of conflict often seen in the Balkans. Now is an appropriate moment to give this favorable foundation a more coherent strategic direction. From Mr.East.eu via the German Marshall Fund.
The Captured Revolution Turns on Itself
Kyrgyzstan’s president rewrites the constitution to give himself more power, crushes his only serious rival, and continues to stifle dissent.
Latest News
The Balkan Shadow Timber Trade
How policy delays and historic governance gaps fuel illegal logging in Albania and across the region.
Russia’s Employers Reveal the Limits of Putin’s Wartime Consensus
While Putin promises Russia’s war veterans who fought in Ukraine great honor, privileges, and a place among the elite, their return to civilian life and entry into the labor market paints a very different picture. From the LSE European Politics blog.
Aging in the Heat
Why the Czech Republic’s senior care system isn’t equipped for a changing climate.
Climate Shocks Hit EU Corn Heartland
Hungary’s expected corn harvest could be down by two-thirds compared to 2018–19, while Romania could see a drop of more than half.
Festival or Funeral? How Prague is Turning the Memory of 1968 Into Action
At NeverMore 68, generations gathered to commemorate a painful anniversary. For them, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia is not just history, it’s a lesson for the future.

