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Tales from the Region

Bulgaria’s COVID-19 vaccination fiasco: excessive risks, mediocre results

Владимир Атанасов

12.04.21

Vladimir Atanasov Bulgaria’s vaccination program can only be deemed a fiasco. It can be attributed to a number of factors — poor organization, incompetence, and potential conflict of interest. In turn, the drama, which unravels now, is not surprising. Bulgaria is...

The unbearably slow vaccination process in Croatia

Ведрана Симичевиќ

09.04.21

Vedrana Simičević Favoritism, weak strategy and poor communication with the public were the features of the first months of vaccination and they are the reasons that Croatia is currently at the bottom of the EU scale in terms of percentage of vaccinated population....

It will happen when it happens! – The vaccination entanglement in North Macedonia

Стефан Ристовски и Ангел Мојсовски

05.04.21

Stefan Ristovski, Angel Mojsovski The number of people who are infected and have passed has increased significantly in the past period, while the epidemiological situation in the country is critical. The way the authorities are handling the crisis raises the dilemma of...

Greece hopes that beaches won’t be empty again this summer, but vaccination numbers say otherwise

Јеоргија Наку

02.04.21

Georgia Nakou The hope in government circles is that increased vaccination rates and warmer weather will bring infections down to manageable levels and make it safe to welcome visitors for the sake of the economy. The numbers suggest that this will be a higher-risk...

Excess of vaccines in Serbia will go to waste. Literally.

Игор Тодоровиќ

29.03.21

Igor Todorovic Serbia is the first country in Europe and the seventh in the world in terms of the full vaccination coverage rate! However, judging by the government’s latest moves, the rates are stagnating. Conflicting statements and actions since the beginning of...

Montenegro’s vaccination adventure: Lord, bless us with good health

Даниела Вукчевиќ (Daniela Vukcevic)

26.03.21

Daniela Vukcevic Back in the day, the mega-popular regional star Lepa Brena sang the lyrics “Bless us, Lord, with health and joy” (“Daj, Bože, zdravlja i radosti”) in one of her songs. Although this hit is now over three decades old, the refrain is...

(Dis)Integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European Union

Махир Сијамија

17.02.21

Mahir Sijamija We cannot expect Bosnia and Herzegovina, or any other candidate country, to join the EU until we develop antibodies to the virus of corruption, crime and nationalist policies that still paralyze Western Balkans. History has shown that, over the...

Eight years later: Is Croatia finally truly ready for Europe?

Бојана Губерац (Bojana Guberac)

15.02.21

Bojana Guberac Croatia joined the European Union on the first day of July, 2013. Many feared joining the EU for various reasons. One of the reasons for such fears related to what the EU would bring us. Yet, nearly eight years later, I have the impression that it is no...

Greece’s EU journey: Solidarity hard to come by, but two-way approach also lacking

Александра Вудури (Alexandra Voudouri)

12.02.21

Alexandra Voudouri This year Greece will celebrate its 40th anniversary as a member of one of the strongest clubs in the world, the European Union. Greece’s European journey has been quite bumpy and brought the country to the edge of an exit from the Union. Learning...

Some Sad Lessons the Western Balkans Can Learn from Bulgaria’s EU Journey

Радосвета Василева

10.02.21

Radosveta Vassileva In 2007, we were so happy and proud to be finally in that mythological space, this pretentious club for the chosen ones known as the EU. Thirteen years after accession, however, this European dream looks more like a nightmare. In the late 1990s and...