Our weekly digest of articles about emerging Europe published elsewhere this week, all of which caught our eye and all of which are well worth your time. Listing them here, however, does not necessarily mean that we agree with every word, nor do they necessarily reflect Emerging Europe’s editorial policy.
The untold story of the Ukraine crisis
Great wars sometimes start over small offenses. A murdered duke. An angered pope. The belief of a lonely king that his rivals aren’t playing fair. When historians study why armies began gathering in Europe during the plague of 2021, their interest might turn to a teenage girl, the goddaughter of Moscow’s isolated sovereign.
Third time lucky for Armenia and Turkey?
For the third time in three decades, Ankara and Yerevan are trying to normalise relations. In a region plagued by rivalry, distrust, and historical grievances, this will be no easy feat.
Kazakhstan: Fintech revolution runs up against taxman’s demands
Kazakhstan is a regional leader in mobile banking. Could tax reforms derail this unusual success story?
Israeli tech firms have much to lose in Ukraine
In recent years Ukraine has become a type of proxy for Israel’s tech sector, as companies struggle to hire staff.
Viktor Orbán or: How I learned to stop worrying and love Putin
Viktor Orbán first came to prominence when in 1989 he declared on live TV that Hungary must put an end to the ‘Russian occupation’. On the first day of February this year, he held his thirteenth meeting with Vladimir Putin. What’s changed?
UK tourists head to Albania for ‘sense of exotic’ without long-haul flight
Albania has been on the radar for intrepid backpackers for some time, but this year tour operators are predicting the south-eastern Balkan country will become a mainstream holiday destination for UK travellers after a surge in bookings this January.
Estonia: The country inoculating against disinformation
Subjected to repeated disinformation campaigns, the tiny Baltic country of Estonia sees media literacy education as part of its digital-first culture and national security.
North Macedonia, its Balkan neighbours, can’t fight terrorism alone
Cooperating with international agencies such as Europol is crucial if North Macedonia and the rest of the Western Balkans are to win the fight against terrorism and extremism.
A music museum opens in the heart of Hungary’s culture wars
At City Park in Budapest, a building project has come to exemplify the politics of Viktor Orbán, the country’s far-right prime minister.
Embracing slow time in Tajikistan
Anisa Sabiri’s photographs capture the unrushed cadences of life in Tajikistan. As an emigre, returning to a more relaxed pace can be a difficult but fulfilling challenge.
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