Fellowship Articles
Fissures in the Faith: Rise of Conservative Islamists Alarms Kosovans
Followers of stricter forms of Islam are demanding more rights in Kosovo, provoking a backlash among secularists.
‘Want to Work? Join the Party’: Contacts Trump Merit in Balkan Job Market
Governing parties in Macedonia stand accused of reserving desirable public sector jobs for their supporters, driving frustrated youth abroad.
Secrets and Lies: Victims of Albanian Communism Denied Closure
Former political prisoners want truth and compensation – but their quest has become entangled in the country’s murky politics.
Political Football: The Balkans’ Belligerent Ultras Avoid Penalties
Hooligans in Macedonia stoke the embers of ethnic strife, and – like their Serbian counterparts – often escape punishment.
Green Revolution: How Eco-Activism Made Bulgaria Care Again
Environmental campaigners have shown they can fight the system – but how far can they fix it?
Collective Punishment: How a Socialist Farm Lost its Way to Market
BIRN digs deeper into the sale of a once-successful Croatian farm that went the way of many privatisations in the region – leaving workers jobless and out-of-pocket.
Abandoned Twice: Bosnia’s Orphans Left in the Lurch
The fractured state is unable to monitor its orphanages properly, and nor can it provide any decent alternatives to the institutions.
Occupy the Military: Struggle for the Balkans’ Derelict Barracks
Activists and the Serbian authorities fail to find common ground in a battle of ideals and real estate – unlike in Croatia and Slovenia.
The Minority Report: Jobless Ethnic Albanians “Let Down by the State”
Frustration unites members of the minority across the region – but hopes of EU entry may have eased tensions in Montenegro.
Cheap, and Far from Free: The Migrants Building Britain
Job restrictions have left Romanian and Bulgarian construction workers underpaid and vulnerable to exploitation, a BIRN investigation reveals.
