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…

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…

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 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…

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…

What is the likely political impact of the coronavirus going to be in the Western Balkans, and do these societies have the resources to deal with this outbreak? And speaking of viruses, what is Milorad Dodik playing at with his recent threats of secession, and how can Bosnia overcome the disease of nationalist-sectarianism. Sarajevo Calling…

What’s behind the apparent breakthrough in Kosovo-Serbia relations, as brokered by the new U.S. Presidential envoy Richard Grenell — and what happened to the EU in the process? And what exactly is happening in the Sarajevo Canton and who – if anyone – presently constitutes the government? All this and a lot of terrible puns,…

This week on “Sarajevo Calling”, the boys count down the big political stories of the year while discussing the particular and peculiar culture surrounding the marking of New Year’s Eve in the Western Balkans. And all of this with a spread of musical interludes! Sarajevo Calling is a podcast about Southeast European affairs, focusing in…

What are the intersections between dignity and humiliation, on the one hand, and pervasive patterns of corruption and dignity, on the other, in the Western Balkans? Will there ever be a „revolution of dignity“ in this region? And what would that require? This week, with heads held high, on „Sarajevo Calling“.  This time, we are…

French obstruction of the start of EU accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, a second U.S. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans region, elections and coalition making in Kosovo, and the question that has plagued philosophers since the dawn of organized political life: what’s the difference between a pundit and analyst? It’s Sarajevo Calling,…