Sarajevo Calling

Your favorite podcast returns from a months-long hiatus to examine the breakdown in Bulgarian-Macedonian relations. We speak to scholar Dimitar Bechev for his perspective on the latest setback for North Macedonia and its EU aspirations. Then, in her first field-report, journalist Una Hajdari reports from Skopje on the origins of Bulgaria's obsession with the identity of North Macedonia's citizens and their language. It's a Christmas miracle -- Sarajevo Calling is back!  Sarajevo Calling is a podcast on East European affairs, focusing in particular on the contemporary politics of the Western Balkans. Hosted by journalist Aleksandar Brezar and political scientist Jasmin Mujanović, produced by Una Hajdari, and with graphics provided by Boris Stapić, Sarajevo Calling posts new episodes every two weeks.Remember to check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Spotify, and TuneIn, while also visiting our Patreon page.News segments courtesy of Euronews. All music used for educational and informative purposes, and rights retained by its respective owners:"Potjera kroz Skopje",  performed by Sevdah Takht, courtesy of Damir Imamović. Copyright of Lampshade Media"Habibi",  performed by Azis. Copyright of Diapason Records"Zajdi zajdi" (trad.),  performed by Goran Bojcevski"Padaj silo i nepravdo",  insert from "The Battle of Neretva""Mila znaj/Bella Ciao" (trad.), performed by Zvonko i drugarite  

This week on Sarajevo Calling, the guys chat with Montenegrin political analysts Ljubomir Filipović about the country’s historic elections. What are the prospects for a heterodox coalition government between right wing nationalists and left wing reformers? What has been the role of outside actors like Serbia and Russia in the apparent defeat of the long ruling DPS? And what are the prospects for continued instability in Montenegro in the months to come? All this and a thing about unicorns on this edition of Sarajevo Calling.Sarajevo Calling is a podcast about Southeast European affairs, focusing in particular on the contemporary politics of the Western Balkans. Hosted by journalist Aleksandar Brezar and political scientist Jasmin Mujanović, and with graphics provided by Boris Stapić, Sarajevo Calling posts new episodes every two weeks.This time we were without the services of our sound editor Esad Rebihić, who usually makes us sound so much better than in real life. Please admire his other work here.Remember to check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Spotify, and TuneIn, while also visiting our Patreon page.

The boys return from a brief hiatus to discuss the resurgence of coronavirus in the Western Balkans, and how local governments have pressed on with ill-advised elections of (in Serbia’s case, at least) dubious democratic legitimacy. Also, the contested legacy of Croatia’s “Operation Storm”; whose experiences are commemorated 25 years later and why? All this and a nice little flatbread, warm right out of the oven, on Episode 29 of Sarajevo Calling.Sarajevo Calling is a podcast about Southeast European affairs, focusing in particular on the contemporary politics of the Western Balkans. Hosted by journalist Aleksandar Brezar and political scientist Jasmin Mujanović, and with graphics provided by Boris Stapić, Sarajevo Calling posts new episodes every two weeks.This time we were without the services of our sound editor Esad Rebihić, who usually makes us sound so much better than in real life. Please admire his other work here.Remember to check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Spotify, and TuneIn, while also visiting our Patreon page.All music used for educational and informative purposes, and rights retained by its respective owners:"Bella Ciao", peformed by Dejan Lazarević, live at Guča, 2018. Source: Youtube

It's Episode 28 of Sarajevo Calling, wherein Aleksandar and Jasmin discuss Balkan cuisine. Sogan dolma, klepe, ajvar, njeguški pršut, tulumbe, baklava; it's our most sensual and syrupiest episode yet. It'll make you light up a cigarette and maybe make you feel a bit uncomfortable. Maybe you have a nap afterwards, just to let things settle. That seems like a good idea. Anyway, enjoy!Sarajevo Calling is a podcast about Southeast European affairs, focusing in particular on the contemporary politics of the Western Balkans. Hosted by journalist Aleksandar Brezar and political scientist Jasmin Mujanović, and with graphics provided by Boris Stapić, Sarajevo Calling posts new episodes every two weeks.This time we were without the services of our sound editor Esad Rebihić, who usually makes us sound so much better than in real life. Please admire his other work here.Remember to check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Spotify, and TuneIn, while also visiting our Patreon page.Sarajevo Calling is also a proud partner of Summer of Solidarity, a summer-long collaborative journalism and creativity initiative collecting human stories from across wider Europe throughout the summer of 2020.

This week the boys discuss the apparent landmark elections deal in the city of Mostar, the bizarre campaign trail antics of Serbia's Deputy PM, the (re)arrest of war criminal Fikret Abdić, and - at long last! - the return of TANK TALK. All this and our views on donkeys, nature's most noble ungulate on this week's Sarajevo Calling.Sarajevo Calling is a podcast about Southeast European affairs, focusing in particular on the contemporary politics of the Western Balkans. Hosted by journalist Aleksandar Brezar and political scientist Jasmin Mujanović, and with graphics provided by Boris Stapić, Sarajevo Calling posts new episodes every two weeks.This time we were without the services of our sound editor Esad Rebihić, who usually makes us sound so much better than in real life. Please admire his other work here.Remember to check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Spotify, and TuneIn, while also visiting our Patreon page.