North Macedonia - Articoli

The results of the referendum held in the UK will have significant consequences for the process of European integration of the South-Eastern European countries

The media sector in Macedonia is increasingly becoming a battlefield in the struggle between government and the opposition

The town and lake Ohrid are endangered by a vast urbanization plan, which is opposed by local citizens and international scholars

The Šar Planina mountains are one of the richest biodiversity areas in the Balkans, but they are not protected. The project of a Natural Park could change the picture

The NGO Legis is one of the few organizations working with migrants and refugees in Macedonia. An interview with Mersiha Smailovikj, one of the founders of Legis, provides a complex picture of the situation

Dozens of company-owned buses wait for refugees at the border between Greece and Macedonia, to take them across the country, all the way up to Serbia

Before reaching the town of Gevgelija, Macedonia, our correspondent stops in Thessaloniki to discuss the refugees' situation with the Mayor. Third episode

The case of a journalist assaulted twice in less than 24 hours leads to distressing conclusions on the state of the media in the country

Lake Prespa, on the border between Macedonia, Albania and Greece preserves unique biodiversity and culinary traditions. Like that of the dried fish "cironki", whose origins are lost in time

The path of the migrants towards the EU is full of risks. Following the Balkan route, the 200 km crossing Macedonia can be the most deadly. Our report

In the aftermath of the Skopje rallies, internal talks supported by EU and US diplomacy are trying to draft an exit strategy to the crisis

The Kosovo authorities are concerned about the participation of their citizens in the conflict in Macedonia, but deny any organized involvement

Macedonia is trying to deal with the recent armed clashes in the city of Kumanovo. The debate focuses on pan-Albanian nationalism, but the government is also suspected of an attempt to distract the public from its scandals

Journalists should speak up about the problems they face in their work, as there are problems everywhere in Europe. An interview with Oliver Vujović, SEEMO Secretary General

Croatian journalist Zrinka Vrabec Mojzeš spoke at the Skopje Media Forum about the dangerous relations among politics, media and media owners in the region, and advocated the need for a European-level legislation on media. Interview

Ljubica Grozdanovska Dimishkovska, author of international report critical of the country's level of democracy, was criticised for her analysis, with pro-government media seeing it as serving the interests of the opposition as well as those of Greece

Germany is reviewing its regulations in order to discourage false asylum seekers from the Balkans, mainly of Roma origin, knocking at its door. But not all Roma asylum requests are fake

Public money for advertisement could turn into a further tool for media control, while Freedom House downgrades Macedonia 22 places in rank

A keyboard player in one of the major Macedonian punk rock bands of the 80's, Badmingtons, is now promoting a unique project and a national brand: the Macedonian Ruby. The story of Dejan Škartov, better-known in Skopje as Deko

Truck drivers sealed off the border after a rapid escalation in trade restrictions between Macedonia and Kosovo. The situation quickly came back to normal, but not without consequences

Rumors on the impending collapse of the real estate market in Macedonia have been spreading for some time. Lately, they are increasing

The Macedonian capital remembered the 50^th anniversary of the devastating earthquake of July 26, 1963. On that day, the city stopped breathing

Thanks to the mediation of Štefan Füle, EU Commissioner for the Enlargement, the Social Democratic Macedonian opposition declined to boycott the local elections, scheduled for March 24. The institutional crisis is over, but the problems of democratic functioning of the institutions remain

In October 2012, the European Commission gave green light to Macedonia for the fourth time in a row to start the EU accession negotiations, still blocked by a Greek veto. But what is the real state of democracy in the country? Our correspondent takes us on a personal reflection on indicators rarely taken into account

The crushed salt of Kratovo comes directly from the sun and the wind that kiss the Osogovski mountains, in Macedonia. A journey into the secrets of a family that wants to open the country's first “slow hostel”, distant a three-day horse ride from the Aegean sea

In Macedonia, the process of dealing with the communist past of the country is becoming more and more to resemble a reality show. Lists of former secret service agents are published on the internet, civil servants are removed from office, new categories of citizens end under screening. But some warn that privacy and civil rights are at stake

He's the only Macedonian politician who has been riding the crest of the wave since the '90s. Branko Crvenkovski seems to have reached his final challenge: the next local elections. He would do anything to win them, even shaking hands with former arch-enemies

On 12 April, the murder of five people by lake Smiljkovo, at the outskirts of Skopje, struck Macedonia's ethnic cohesion. Five people are now in jail, accused of being part of an Islamic terrorist organization. Many questions, however, remain unanswered

EU aid to Balkan civil society seems to be increasingly directed at large NGOs. Small community-based organisations tend to be marginalised mainly as a result of turnover thresholds and excessive red tape set by the donors. An opinion by Risto Karajkov, OBC's correspondent and free-lance civil society consultant

There are not many parts of the world where a TV talk show can be produced without requiring dubbing or subtitles in order to be broadcast in 5 different countries. But in the Balkans this is possible. Vicinities is a first when it comes to talk shows with a regional approach. "But don't talk to me about Yugosphere" says Nenad Šebek, the show's host