Category Archives: Balkans

Balkans

Greece is still struggling to cope with the refugee crisis

Published: Independent

Refugee flows to Greece, one of migrants’ and refugees’ most important points of entry into Europe, have risen by 200% in the last five months, mainly due to conditions in Syria and the Turkish government’s efforts to relocate refugees away from Istanbul. But for years, Greece has been unable to manage effectively its migration problem, and the country is still far from able to accommodate this sharp increase, even if it is much smaller than the dramatic uptick in 2015 (…) Read Full Article.

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Balkans, Europe, Greece

A historic deal achieved by the centre-left

Published: State of the Left

In Greece things are even more complicated, since the deal does not merely meet objections on the right, it is also divides the centre left. The heirs of the traditional centre-left parties have forged a broad coalition, Kinima Allagis (Movement for Change), to counter the populist stance of Tsipras. The official position of this coalition is to oppose the deal. However, former prime minister George Papandreou, leader of a small party within the coalition, is in favour, as is Stavros Theodorakis, leader of the centrist party, Potami.

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Balkans

Macedonia name dispute: Problem solved?

Published: LSE Politics&Policy blog

The long-running disagreement over what to call ‘the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ (FYROM) has been an entirely insignificant one. The country has co-existed harmoniously with its neighbour Greece for a quarter of a century, and no territorial or national minority conflict has clouded their relations. The issue of what to call the country has also been resolved in practice: the whole world refers to it as ‘Macedonia’ and will continue to do so regardless of the new name (Republic of North Macedonia) contained in the new agreement (…) Full Article

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Balkans

Turkey vs Greece: Is war a real possibility?

Published: LSE Politics&Policy blog

There are two ways to read the Greek-Turkish dispute that has escalated in recent weeks in the Aegean, prompting some to even talk about a possible military confrontation. One is that advanced by the two sides involved: the maritime boundaries between the two countries is an issue of strategic significance and prestige for both. The second is that advanced by Bill Clinton (…) Full Article

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