Stories about Europe
22 October 2019
Hong Kong political scientist likens Hongkongers to a stateless nation
'... to balance the interests of China, the US and HK people, the city needs a truly democratic self-government that can represent HK people's interests and understand the complexity of...
18 October 2019
Bulgaria's far-right is attempting to shut down the country's oldest human rights NGO
A member of the European Union since 2007, Bulgaria took a turn to the far-right in 2017 when PM Borisov's center-right party GERB allied itself with a small coalition of nationalist...
14 October 2019
A Crimean Tatar journalist's defiant last words in court
"I am a citizen of Ukraine, a Crimean Tatar, a Muslim. I am a journalist, a father, a husband, and a son. With the grace of God, these will not...
10 October 2019
‘I and we': The rallying cry of Russian protests
As the product of no particular political grouping or ideology, Я/Мы has become a relatively neutral rallying cry around which citizens of all political persuasions can unite.
The Hungarian journalists who wouldn't keep quiet
Interview with Csaba Lukács, journalist and managing director of the independent weekly Magyar Hang, on the trials and tribulations of running a critical, conservative newspaper in Viktor Orbán's Hungary.
9 October 2019
4 October 2019
Climate activists in the Netherlands: “We need hope through action”
“I asked myself, how can we make sure that there is a just and healthy planet in the end for us to live our liberated lives?”
24 September 2019
Russia's return to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: Diplomacy or defeat?
Amending the Council of Europe’s (CoE) sanctioning rules to restore Russia’s voting rights in its Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has divided democracy and human rights advocates.
20 September 2019
Serbian journalists expose a ruling party bot application used to manipulate readers’ comments on media websites
Investigative journalists discovered that a mobile application linked to their country's ruling party IP address was used for automatic voting on user comments on websites of popular media outlets.
19 September 2019
China Central Television urges netizens to doxx Hong Kong protesters and reporters
The state-run TV helped publicise doxxing site hkleaks.ru, which targeted pro-democracy lawmakers, student activists and journalists in Hong Kong.
18 September 2019
Once hotbeds of political resistance, Czech secondhand bookstores are slowly disappearing
The few surviving "antikvariat" have turned into nostalgia museums.
17 September 2019
Rediscovering the riches of St Petersburg's Muslim heritage
"Muslims are not just guests in this city, but were once its masters and some of its earliest inhabitants."
16 September 2019
A professor's self-immolation puts the spotlight on the fragile future of Russia's minority languages
Many people discussing Razin's death seem bewildered that anyone would use minority languages in daily life, let alone die for them—an attitude by no means limited to Russia.
14 September 2019
New finance minister of North Macedonia faces sexist attacks online
The spokesperson of the main opposition party wrote a Facebook post about the new minster's appointment that was filled with misogynistic language.
13 September 2019
Siberians appeal to world leaders via YouTube to save them from coal smoke
"This winter, the whole world saw our black snow. We were gasping for air because of coal dust. Why do we have to live in such intolerable conditions?"
12 September 2019
As Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners, the RuNet reacted
The return of Ukrainian political prisoners might be a win for president Zelensky. But the decision to hand a key witness to the MH17 tragedy to Russia attracted fierce criticism.
Serbian member of pro-Kremlin biker club under investigation for assaulting a female journalist
Journalist Verica Marinčić was stalked and attacked by a member of the 'Night Wolves' biker group, after posting a photo of his car, parked illegally.
8 September 2019
Human rights—and an actual rainbow—take center stage at Bosnia-Herzegovina's first Pride Parade
Concerns expressed during the build-up to the event about possible violence proved unfounded. As one Twitter user put it: "So much pride and happiness today in Sarajevo!"
6 September 2019
Bosnia-Herzegovina to hold first ever Pride parade in Sarajevo on September 8
The parade is taking place in an atmosphere of threats of violence and homophobic rhetoric by traditional and social media, but organizers are determined that the show will go on.
