Bulgaria’s recent parliamentary election was widely declared a victory for EU interests by the western media, but a closer look at the complicated web of Kremlin influence and “pro-Russia” and “pro-EU” loyalties in Bulgaria reveals a far more complex picture, argues Michael Colborne. Bulgaria got caught in the western media…
Tag: russia
A Conversation With Carl Bildt
A while back, I interviewed the most enigmatic diplomat in the world: Carl Bildt. Mr. Bildt has served as Sweden’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and held a number of posts in the Balkans, including as the EU’s Special Envoy to the former Yugoslavia, Co-Chairman of the Dayton Peace Conference…
A Preliminary Guide to Slovenia’s Presidential Elections
Slovenia’s presidential elections are scheduled for the end of the year. Will incumbent #instapresident Borut “Barbie” Pahor emerge triumphant, or will Slovenia lurch nativist right wing, becoming the EU’s next Poland? Our Slovenia correspondent Pengovsky takes a look at the state of presidential play in Melania Trump’s homeland, with illustrations taken from…
Balkanist Recommends: Russian Welcome Signs
We recommend checking out the photos from this great Russian livejournal account dedicated to the various welcome signs from the entrances to cities and towns across the Russian Federation. A bit more information about the locations of each of these signs is available on the website (in Russian), but many of…
Russia Seeks Its Own Version Of Kosovo In Eastern Ukraine
“Russia is seeking to present the Western powers with its own version of Kosovo. Just as Russia’s ally Serbia claims sovereignty over Kosovo with some validity in terms of international law, but has no effective control over most of its territory, the Russians are planning to make Eastern Ukraine a…
Photos of Odessa, Plus Our Valentine’s Day 2017 Playlist
It’s Valentine’s Day and in case that matters to anyone anymore, your editor has put together a playlist of music made by some of our friends in Ukraine and Russia. We’re also throwing in some of our photos of the beautiful Black Sea port city of Odessa, where we occasionally hide out when we’re not…
What’s Going on with Members of Congress and Macedonia?
Several members of the US Congress seem to have taken a peculiar (and some say unprecedented) sort of interest in Macedonia recently. Why might that be and where might it lead? It’s a warm evening in May, and I’m sitting in a garden in Skopje listening to Toni, the elderly…