Lefteast
Macedonia in 2015 has experienced the deepest turmoil in its political history of 24 years of independence. In the last nine years the country has been ruled by a conservative ethnic Macedonian political party – VMRO-DPMNE which in coalition with the Albanian partner – DUI created a particular political model of governance in the Balkan […]
“The gentry could not abide familiarity in public. I remember years later working as a day-labourer on a nearby puszta, tying up vines, I suddenly jerked up my head in surprise when I heard a farm official who had been sent out to supervise us attacking one of the girls who was falling behind. “Do […]
By the time you read this you will have no doubt already absorbed initial reactions—from euphoria to guarded optimism—of the international Left to the June 7 parliamentary elections in Turkey, the first ever in which the neoliberal Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) in power since 2002 has fallen out with its much touted “national […]
With Turkey’s parliamentary elections on Sunday fast approaching, all eyes are on the Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) contesting its first ever election as a party, rather than a coalition of nominally independent candidates: a momentous decision on the part of the party leadership, which stands to gain clout in parliament and solidify its position as […]
LeftEast recently sat down with Martin Marinos and Andre Andreev to discuss their film ‘Flame: A Short Film About Plamen Goranov,’ which recently won the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Short Film. The documentary explores the life of Plamen Goranov whose self-immolation during the Bulgarian protests in 2013 spurred the resignation of Varna’s […]
UNATC – short for the National University of Theatre and Film “I. L. Caragiale” – is a state university in Bucharest. Its two halves are the Film Faculty and the Theatre Faculty – the two biggest Romanian schools preparing professionals in film-related and theatre-related fields (including theory and historical research). What became known to Romanian […]
During a recent visit to Slovenia, Serbia’s Prime Minister Vucic made a statement on a theme that has come to figure prominently in many of his public speeches and press statements – that of the importance of a strong work ethic. Speaking of his government’s economic reforms and foreign policy measures, Vucic poignantly argued for […]
Note from the LeftEast editors: this text coming from citizens, activists and academics concerned by the recent developments in Macedonia, is an attempt to draw attention to the events in the country. It is also a plea for your solidarity with the citizens who are seeking justice and freedom. If you would like your name or […]
Editors’ note: this article has also been published on Stephen Shenfield’s blog. On January 7, 2015, I was watching the TV channel Rossiya-24. They were talking about the terrorist act that had just taken place at the editorial office of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. They were broadcasting the first interviews with famous people, […]
The Global Day of Action on the 18th of April marked one of the biggest global protests in years. There were 734 protest events around the globe, including Asia and Africa. What precipitated this wave was a new generation of free-trade agreements being negotiated right now, potentially affecting the whole system of global trade. In […]