On Imvros/Gökçeada, a Turkish island at the mouth of the Dardanelles with a fascinating and complex history, faith, hospitality and history intertwine every 15 August for the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, whilst the island’s Greek community is still trying to understand what it really means to return

09/10/2026, Mary Drosopoulos  Gökçeada

After years of negotiations between Bulgaria and Greece, the remains of the medieval Bulgarian tsar Samuel have been laid to rest in a lavish ceremony in the Bulgarian capital. The agreement marks a strategic rapprochement between Athens and Sofia, including as part of their opposition to Skopje. It has also provided a spectacular backdrop to the opening of Bulgaria’s presidential election campaign

06/10/2026, Francesco Martino  Sofia

Elites in both Kosovo and Serbia avoid raising the issue of cooperation with the other side, because “doing so would amount to admitting that normalization brings benefits rather than mere concessions.” An interview with Bojana Selaković, coordinator of EU Konvent

06/10/2026, Federico Baccini  Bruxelles

A new crackdown on the LGBT+ community is underway in Turkey: in September, the “My Family Is Safe” operation marked a shift from merely blocking public demonstrations to the actual dismantling of the organizational infrastructure that supports the community’s advocacy, legal assistance, and health information services

05/10/2026, Franco Rivera 

In recent years, Montenegro has seen an influx of foreign direct investment. Serbia, Turkey, and Russia are interested in Montenegrin real estate, while China takes on infrastructure development

01/10/2026, Ines Martinez Velasco 

The case of Vlora Hyseni, director of the Albanian State Intelligence Service (SHISH), has erupted in Albania. Hyseni has been suspended and placed under house arrest on charges of aiding and abetting the alleged perpetrator of a crime and disclosing classified information

28/09/2026, Arbjona Çibuku  Tirana