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  

Sarajevo Calling

A Country by Any Other Name

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.

Montenegro’s Election Fallout w/ Ljubomir Filipović

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

Literal Election Fever

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.

Fifty Shades of Tulumbe

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.

The Flying Rasim

Slovenia's illiberal PM is posting bizarre conspiracy theories and attacking journalists on Twitter, while Bosnia's entity governments are embroiled in raspberry and tent-related corruption scandals. It's been a weird few weeks in Balkan politics, and Sarajevo Calling is back to make (try to) sense of it all.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.

Berry, Berry Corrupt

Aleksandar and Jasmin discuss: Sarajevo - the place, the myth, the spite, and the spirit. An intimate, personal dialogue on what Sarajevo means to the guys, its "parallel universes", and the city as "philosophical absolute". 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 as Philosophical Absolute

The boys sit down and chat with the renowned scholar Florian Bieber of the University of Graz about the origins of his academic career studying the Western Balkans, the rise of authoritarianism and illiberalism in the region, and the future of European enlargement. And we ask him to go on the record with all the tough questions: is Luxembourg a Balkan state and what exactly is his relation to Justin?! All this, and a warm zeljanik, on this week's episode 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.

Hearing is Beliebing w/ Florian Bieber

The boys discuss the ongoing political drama in Kosovo between (Acting) Prime Minister Albin Kurti and President Hashim Thaçi, and their respective supporters. Why did Kurti's government fall and what has been the role of the international community in these events, in particular as concerns the U.S.' Amb. Richard Grenell? Most excitingly, hear clips from Albin Kurti's recent press conference for foreign media - including his views on Thaçi, Grenell, and the famed "land swap". All this and Star Wars on this week's episode 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.

Kosovo's Constitutional Kerfuffle

The boys discuss some of their favorite narrative and scholarly literature about the Western Balkans, while both having an emotional meltdown. Featuring a collection of texts by both local authors and foreign experts on the region. 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.

Balkan Book Bonanza

How have regional leaders responded to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic to the Western Balkans? Are restrictions on media freedom and public discourse the the way to deal with a viral contagion - or is this another alarming moment of regional democratic backsliding? And what exactly is a "zeljanik"? All this and more on Episode 21.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.

Pitopulism

On our big 20th episode spectacular, we talk with sevdah singer and scholar Damir Imamović ahead of the April 3, 2020 release of his new album, "Singer of Tales". We discuss the origins of the sevdah genre, its post-war revitalization, and what Damir considers sevdah's "punk ethos".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:"Kafu mi draga ispeci", "Adio kerida" and "Poljem se vija Hajdar delija" all peformed by Damir Imamović, courtesy of Damir Imamović/Wrasse Records

Singing Tales with Damir Imamović

We speak with Giovanni Vale of Extinguished Countries about how he and his partner came up with the idea for " the first guidebook series about countries that no longer exist" and, in particular, the first volume in the series on the continuing legacies of the Republic of Venice presence in the Western Balkans. Also, we discuss the current global health crisis, and the different forms of solidarity and coping methods seen and needed in Italy and elsewhere.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 Italy": Bonus Episode w/ Giovanni Vale

We talk completely ineffective Balkan folk remedies for COVID19, rheumatism, and everything in between with freelance journalist Una Hajdari. We also touch on her comparative experiences reporting on others parts of post-socialist Eastern Europe -- and whether propuh/promaja is as deadly as they say.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.

Balkan Folk Remedies w/ Una Hajdari

It's the first ever Sarajevo Calling interview episode, featuring the guys in conversation with journalist Valerie Hopkins of the Financial Times. We'll discuss Valerie's start as a reporter in the region, her perspective on Hungary's growing influence in the Balkans, and the significance of recent U.S.-led breakthroughs (?!) in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue. 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.

Getting Lit with Valerie Hopkins

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 will post new episodes every two weeks.

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Sarajevo Calling

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