In every street of every city
Everyone in the Balkans is protesting. Romania's expensive chicken waterer, shepherds' dreams of DJing and hidden coldwave gems.
Good morning everyone,
it’s Friday — the last one of January — and this is Balkan Brew, the go-to newsletter for all your Balkan-related cravings.
This week was full of events and protests — mostly protests, to be fair: we’ll look at what’s happening in the streets throughout the region, and then bring you to Romania for a treasure hunt. Plus: US (not) aid, shepherd DJs, and the early-90s Sarajevo coldwave scene.
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In every street of every city
It seems like every. single. country. in the region has been protesting this past week — one way or another. Let’s break it down.
80 KILOMETERS WORTH OF PROTEST. In Serbia, the protests show no sign of slowing down. A group of around 300 students is marching from Belgrade to Novi Sad, backed by supportive citizens along the way. Their goal? To join the full-scale blockade of the city planned for Saturday.
A not-so-sweet old lady got her dose of instant karma.
GREAT SUCCESS. The protest has been incredibly successful, showing the students unexpected “energy [...] and maturity.” Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned on Monday, and Vučić is considering calling new elections in an attempt to resolve his legitimacy crisis.
WHERE DO YOU STAND? A group of representatives of Serbian civil society sent a letter to EU institutions, asking them to take a stance on the matter and support their struggle for justice, democracy, and accountability.
GREECE. Tens of thousands of citizens flocked to the streets of more than 100 cities in Greece last Saturday to demand justice over a train crash that killed 57 people in 2023. Opposition parties accused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of attempting a cover-up.
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. People took to the streets also in Podgorica, Montenegro, once again demanding accountability for the January 1 shooting in Cetinje that left 13 dead.
BOYCOTT EVERYTHING. It started last week in Croatia — and it was a huge success. This week, the Friday boycott of shops, cafés, and restaurants to protest rising food prices continues, spreading to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
INFLATION AND POPULISM. Inflation has hit many countries in the region, but Croatia has been hit especially hard, recording the third-highest inflation rate in the EU in 2024. The protests have also sparked a wave of articles scrutinizing politicians' salaries.
WE FEEL YOU. The issue is all too familiar to us. When Italy joined the eurozone in the early 2000s, a similar debate erupted. The issue was never really resolved, leaving a lasting impact — and, among other things, setting the stage for the rise of anti-system parties that would go on to win big in the late 2010s.
Romania stolen treasures
As our readers know, Romania's lost treasures are an enduring part of the country’s history. Unfortunately, that list just got longer — four ancient Romanian gold artifacts were stolen from a Dutch museum last week.
BOOM. On January 25, thieves blew up a wall of the Drents Museum in Assen and stole several priceless pieces of ancient Dacian jewelry. The artifacts were part of a temporary exhibition, Dacia: Empire of Gold and Silver, which featured items lent by Romanian museums.
HELMETS AND CHICKENS. Among the stolen artifacts is the famous Golden Helmet of Coțofenești, one of Romania’s national symbols. The helmet has an incredible history — found by a group of children after WWI, it was, for a time, repurposed as a chicken waterer before being recovered by experts.
BLAME GAME. The theft has sparked political quarrels in Romania, with many accusing the government of failing to ensure the artifacts' safety. Meanwhile, far-right parties are exploiting the incident to fuel conspiracy theories, claiming it’s part of a plot to undermine Romania’s national identity.
ARRESTS. Dutch police have arrested three people in connection with the robbery. However, the stolen artifacts have yet to be recovered.
IN OTHER NEWS.
For months, Montenegro’s High State Prosecution has been urging parliament to lift the immunity of Marko Kovačević, an MP from New Serb Democracy accused of hate speech — but to no avail.
The EU has offered an emergency package to help Moldova and Transnistria tackle their energy crisis. Authorities in Chișinău and Tiraspol are now trying to reach an agreement on how to use the funds.
Trump’s decision to suspend foreign aid for three months (at least for now) will have a significant impact on civil society and independent media in the Balkans.
The organizers of the 2017 Bloody Thursday raid on North Macedonia’s parliament have been granted amnesty by the Skopje Criminal Court.
AND FINALLY. At Balkan Brew, we know a rabbit hole when we see one. A few days ago, we were happily digging through the hidden corners of Bosnian rock annals when we stumbled upon a well-hidden gem: a compilation from Black & White Tapes, a small label active in Sarajevo just before the war. It’s packed with coldwave tunes from lesser-known bands like Anomalia, Invisible Fields, Eery, and Lezi Majmune. You can check it out for free on Bandcamp.
DANCE ANY WAY YOU WANT! Music can change your life, and we’re always excited about a movie with that message. That’s why we’re pretty hyped about the trailer for DJ AHMET — a film about a 15-year-old shepherd boy from a remote Yuruk village in North Macedonia, chasing his biggest dream: becoming a DJ.
This is all for this week! Thanks for sticking with us. If you enjoyed this newsletter, why not forward it to a friend? And if you just received it, please consider subscribing — it means a lot to us.
If you saw some mistakes, want to add something, or if you have a suggestion, reach out to us! All you have to do is reply to this email — you can also find us on Bluesky: Tommaso & Rodolfo.
Until next week, dance any way you want,
BB