Maria Karystianou, president of the Association of Relatives of the Tempi victims, has called for nationwide gatherings on September 6, timed around the Thessaloniki International Fair, to demand truth and justice for the tragedy. Earlier this year, the second anniversary was marked by some of the largest protests since the fall of the junta, with strikes and mass demonstrations across Greece and abroad, while in Parliament the case file was forwarded for ministerial accountability, a committee was formed amid fierce clashes, and eventually former transport minister Kostas Karamanlis was referred to a Judicial Council. At the same time, the judicial file itself is now at risk of being closed despite major gaps, with crucial examinations left incomplete and hundreds of thousands of submitted evidence files excluded, prompting lawsuits from victims’ families who warn that justice is being undermined.

This is a call to action to all Greeks, we must make our voices of opposition heard. We can’t allow this corruption to continue any longer. Please come and demand justice for the victims and their families.

Do you think protests like these can actually push governments in the Balkans to deliver justice, or do they always get buried by political games?

6 Σεπτεμβρίου κατεβαίνουμε στις πλατείες ! Σε όλη την Ελλάδα!

🇵🇱Do you think Polish culture makes it possible to see Poland as a Balkan(like) country? Why and why not? 🇵🇱

I’m curious about what the actual day-to-day differences are between living in Serbia and living in Republika Srpska (the Serb entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Culturally and language-wise they seem almost the same, but I figure there must be differences once you get into the practical stuff. Like:

• how things work with IDs, healthcare, bureaucracy, etc.
• jobs and salaries (is there a big gap between, say, Belgrade/Novi Sad and Banja Luka?)
• cost of living, internet, shops, general infrastructure
• how easy it is to move/study/work between the two
• whether people in RS feel like they’re basically in Bosnia or more like they’re in Serbia

Not trying to spark a political debate, just interested in the everyday side of things. Has anyone here lived in both? What stood out to you?

So a couple months back I was helping out a friend by looking after his holiday apartments on the coast. The apartments themselves were actually fine, guests liked the rooms, no complaints there.

But honestly? Everything else around it was a nightmare. Prices were through the roof, quality was meh at best, and the service everywhere was terrible. Restaurants, shops, tours, you name it, people were paying way too much for way too little.

The funny thing is, it wasn’t like these were broke backpackers staying there. A lot of them literally showed up on huge yachts. They had money, but rich or not, people know when they’re getting ripped off. And I heard the same thing over and over again: “Nice place, but wow, what a bad deal.”

Don’t get me wrong, Croatia is beautiful, but I honestly don’t get how this works long-term. If people keep leaving thinking “yeah, nice coastline but way overpriced and kind of a scammy vibe,” that can’t be good for tourism.

Art by Robert Lyn Nelson

Hi everyone! A few months ago, I bought a ticket for a direct bus from Sarande, Albania, to Athens, through Maksa Travel. However, I just received an email saying that Maksa Travel have cancelled this bus route, and I'm now having trouble finding a different way to travel from Sarande to Athens. Does anyone know a different bus company that I can book with, or any general advice? Thanks for the help

Hello. I am considering moving to Croatia.

I was born as a croat in Germany and speak croatian, german, and english .

I had a talk with some relatives who told me if I want to move to Croatia I can feel free to stay in their house for some months and find out how it is living there and to catch up on the language and then to find a job if I like.

I was also told with the ability of speaking 3 languages it should be easy to find a job with a decent payment in tourism or in import and export trading.

Is this correct? How are chances for people who decide to return to Croatia on the local job market?

Hello all,

In a couple weeks 9 of us will be visiting Tirana and then driving down to Dhermi.

Question: Is it a good idea to have a hire car for the week (21-27th) as I've heard the roads and quality of drivers is poor. Would you recommend driving down or just hiring taxis?

Alternatively, are the busses reliable to get from Tirana to Dhermi?

Thanks in advance and super excited to visit!

Recruited in Athens, Thessaloniki and Belgrade, about 100 Greeks fought in a “guard of volunteers” based in Vlasenica, in central Bosnia. The Greek intelligence service was in touch with the volunteers.

Source

For context, I grew up in a third world country and lived in poverty my entire life in South Asia. Both luck and hard work allowed me to study and work overseas. I have spent almost a decade in Balkans for my career. Mostly in Serbia, Albania and Bosnia, with occassional holidays in Turkey and Montenegro. I take it very seriously that you folks from Balkans have real problems and struggles, and it is nothing to disregard. However... As someone who grew up in a slum, in a third world country, where violent crime, lack of any social services or regard for human life exist, Balkans has been a heaven for me. The simplest explanation I have is, if you guys view the EU, UK or North America as greener pastures, the Balkans have been like that to me.

Even the idea of having running water, electricity all day, real public transit makes the Balkans seem like heaven to me. When you grow up in a literal shit hole in South Asia, Balkans has seriously improved my quality of life like no other. While people (rightfully) complain about the problems in Belgrade or Novi Sad, I am extremely grateful and humbled by just how civilized and functional Serbia is compared to where I'm from. The infrastructure in Balkans might be aging or substandard, but it still a far cry from what you get in true third world regions like South Asia or Sub Saharan Africa. Also corruption? While there is also serious corruption in Balkans, it is not on the scale or severity that you get where I'm from. Just read up on corruption in South Asia, Southeast Asia or Africa, and perhaps you guys wont feel as bad about your region.

Lastly, the best thing I've experienced whether from Serbs, Bosniaks, Albanians or Turks is just the basic idea of treating humans with respect. While I do acknowledge that Balkans have had ethnic violence between each other for centuries, my own personal experience as a half-oriental, half-indian looking foreigner has been the best of my life. I will always be grateful to Balkans, and I hope this at least reassures some of you that your region is not as bad as you think it is.

I’m going to an Albanian Christian funeral today in Canada. I have a floor length long sleeve dress that only shows upper neck and ands. It is form fitting. Is this appropriate?