The Serbian opposition is asking for help from the EU, and the Russians are leaving the country to save themselves from mobilization.
The coalition "Serbia against violence" took the battle against election violence to the European institutions, and that's why the hunger strike was worth it, says MP Marinika Tepic. In Labyrinth, she emotionally talks about the price the whole family pays for her fight against crime and corruption. We also discuss the Belgrade-Prishtina dialogue, for which she does not expect a solution while Aleksandar Vucic is in power, because she believes that he is one of the instigators of the problem and cannot be part of the solution. Regarding the issue of sanctions against Russia, Tepic says that Serbia has European aspirations and as such should align its foreign policy with EU’s.
The journalist and researcher, Vladislav Ivanets, who does not return to Russia to avoid mobilization, is also a guest in Labyrinth. He says that civil society does not support the invasion of Ukraine, and anyone who dares to say so risks many years in prison. Independent media works only from exile. Due to Putin's draconian laws that have been phased in since 2012 (the Foreign Agents Act), Ivanets says that anyone in Russia can be prosecuted. As for the upcoming elections, it is certain that Putin will win because anti-war candidates have been eliminated from the race. Regarding Putin's last interview, he believes that it did him no favors in front of the domestic public.
-
Macedonia got a new President - Eastern European countries are fighting for democracy
Analysis of Macedonian diplomacy, Callings from Georgia and Ukraine on the situation with the protests and the war.
The first guest in this edition of Labyrinth is the former Ambassador of Macedonia to Sweden and Romania, Tihomir Ilievski. We talked about the oath taken by the new President and the reactions it caused among our neighbors. Despite the reactions and difficulties in bilateral relations, the diplomat is still optimistic about the European integration of Macedonia, as well as about the normalization of relations in the entire Balkans.
In Georgia, massive civil protests are taking place over the law on "foreign agents" which moves the country away from the European path, but also seriously threatens the livelihood and freedom of Georgian citizens. From Tbilisi, we were joined by Ekaterine Basilaia - director of the Center for Media and Social Research of Georgia, who explained in more detail what this law is and why so many people took to the streets. We discussed the use of excessive force by the police in arresting peaceful protesters and the legal fight to protect those detained.
In Labyrinth, we also included the volunteer in the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces, Volodymyr Sapekhin. Volodymyr has been going to the fronts and back for more than two years. We talked about the current situation on the fronts, about the progress of Russian forces in the Kharkiv region, but also about his personal feelings about the two realities he lives in.
-
Europe's fragile security put to test
Analysis with Ivo Rangelović
-
Old parliamentary majority – tectonic changes in some member states after the Union elections
Analysis with Andreja Stojkovski: the European elections and Macedonian bilateral relations with the neighbors
The European elections ended without a change in the parliamentary majority, but with an increase in the number of far-right MPs. The composition of the European Parliament may not undergo major changes, but changes are taking place in the domestic politics of member states with great political influence. What this will mean for the Union and its individual policies in the future, we analyze with Andreja Stojkovski from the Prespa Institute. The enlargement policy, the green agenda, as well as the Common Foreign and Security Policy are some of the topics we discussed. We also analyzed our strained relations with our neighbors and the expectations from the future Macedonian Government when it comes to bilateral agreements with the neighbors.
