In the spotlight: fires in the Balkans, thousands of hectares of charred forests

In recent days, Greece has faced several uncontrollable fires © ANGELOS TZORTZINIS / AFP

Text by: Courrier des Balkans Follow |

Philippe Bertinchamps

5 mins

Publicity

Read more

Heat

waves

, fires

… Faced with unprecedented heat waves, the Balkan countries are engulfed in flames.

In North Macedonia, a state of emergency has been declared for a period of one month

.

The situation is also very critical in neighboring countries, in Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, where the flames have already devoured thousands of hectares of forests. 

In Greece, where the fire is not calming down, the conservative Prime Minister is the subject of strong criticism

.

In an attempt to defuse the anger, Kyriákos Mitsotákis asked for forgiveness for " 

possible mistakes

 ".

But would the disaster not rather be the result of a decade of austerity?

Across

the Mediterranean, in Turkey, as flames continue to ravage the Taurus massif and the tourist regions of Antalya and Muğla,

the hashtag war #HelpTurkey vs.

#WeDontNeedHelp is raging

.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan assures us that Turkey will reforest the disaster areas.

Fires also in Serbia.

The Vinča landfill, near Belgrade, has been in flames

since August 7, releasing a toxic fog formed from carcinogenic substances that fell on the Serbian capital.

As authorities try to minimize the incident, environmental organizations are calling for a state of emergency and threatening to file a complaint against the state.

Fashion and diplomacy in Slovenia

In Slovenia, a new spring-summer fashion is emerging:

diplomats stationed in the Balkans are starting to wear traditional costumes

to represent their country.

The conservatives applaud a patriotic act, the left denounces a backward reflex.

Cinema in Greece

From August 21 to 28,

the Douarnenez Film Festival “Peoples and struggles in Greece” will take place

.

The opportunity to take stock, while Greek films are a hit in international festivals but are struggling to find their audience.

The government wants to attract foreign shoots but has no strategy to support the national industry.

In short,

a cinema that navigates between large-budget foreign productions and the D system

.

Interview with director and producer Stella Theodoraki.

In Sarajevo, a Pride March in all serenity

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, as elsewhere in the Balkans,

sexual minorities are making their voices heard.

Sarajevo hosts its second pride march on

Saturday August 14th.

Far from the controversies of 2019, the event is being prepared in relative serenity.

And all the participants are convinced that the issue goes beyond that of LGBTQI rights alone.

Portraits.

"The ideal Orient"

In the summer of 1716, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu followed her husband to Constantinople.

She wanted to come into contact with the Ottomans, learned Turkish, frequented hammams and harems.

And draw at least one conclusion: Turkish women of her time had more freedoms than English women.

Portrait of an explorer

.

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • North Macedonia

  • Albania

  • Montenegro

  • Bosnia and herzegovina

  • Croatia

  • Greece

  • Slovenia

  • Newspaper