The delegation, which included four Balkan mayors from Sofia, Bucharest, Athens and Zagreb, intended to meet Imamoglu on Thursday to show their support and present him with a “special democracy award” in prison. But Turkish authorities vetoed the visit, and no official explanation was given for the decision.

After being prevented from visiting Imamoglu, the delegation held a press conference in front of the prison, handing the democracy award instead to Imamoglu’s wife, Dilek.

“European mayors are speaking with one voice. We are a force for democratic resistance. We will continue to stand together with our colleague Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. His courage in defence of democratic principles inspires us all,” said Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni, who is also vice-president of Eurocities, an alliance of larger European cities.

Sofia’s mayor, Vasil Terziev, also spoke, expressing the Balkan Cities Network’s support for Imamoglu.

“I stand here as president of the B40 Balkan Cities Network, a network established by Ekrem Imamoglu. The gates and walls of this prison are not only a barrier for one man but also for the will of millions of citizens of Istanbul who elected their mayor,” Terziev said.

He said that Balkan mayors also face judicial pressures and political imprisonment in their own countries. “An attack on a democratically elected mayor is an attack on all democratic institutions regardless of the country. That is why our solidarity with Imamoglu…is a democratic and moral responsibility,” Terziev added.

Apart from Collboni and Terziev, the delegation included Zagreb mayor Tomislav Tomasevic, Athens mayor Haris Doukas, Timisoara Mayor Dominic Fritz, Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijksma, Budapest mayor Gergely Szilveszter Karacsony, Paris deputy mayor Arnaud Ngatcha, Madrid international relations general director Jose Francisco Herrera Antonaya and Eurocities secretary-general Andre Sobczak.

https://balkaninsight.com/2025/08/28/turkey-bars-balkan-european-mayors-from-visiting-jailed-opposition-leader/

Вече списъкът е малко по-разнообразен, но за съжаление не могат да се добавят хора, които ползват платформи, различни от мастодон. През bridgyfed има доста активност, но за тях ще трябва да мислим друго решение.

Here’s some footage from one, just to give you an idea: https://bsky.app/profile/256bit.bsky.social/post/3lx655a3hxs2n

"The current AI investment cycle differs from previous technology bubbles. Unlike dot-com era startups that burned through venture capital with no path to profitability, the largest AI investors—Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon—generate hundreds of billions of dollars in annual profits from their core businesses.

Microsoft alone plans to spend $80 billion on AI data centers this fiscal year. These companies can potentially sustain losses from AI development for years without facing the cash crises that typically trigger bubble collapses." https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/115069034230061095

My point exactly. The only certain way for someone to prove they are not a dictator is to retire, typically after two terms as a head of state.

Why do you get winded up so much? Chill, it’s just a few comments beneath just one of million articles.

apparently it isn’t, as per the deleted posts for no reason whatsoever…

Hahaha, that’s a surprisingly positive spin to all this mess

Removed by mod

Businesses attitudes towards corruption in the EU and in selected enlargement countries:

source: Eurobarometer

From the abstract and recommendations of the EC report:

Bulgaria has engaged in reform efforts, in dialogue with the Commission, under the Rule of Law cycle and the Recovery and Resilience Plan, and there have been several legislative developments particularly in the past six months. The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria ruled that parts of the comprehensive constitutional amendments, essential for the organisation of the State, had been adopted by a body not competent to do so, and declared most of the reform unconstitutional. As a result, previous concerns that the reform had aimed to address have reemerged. The provisions dismissed include limits on the Prosecutor General’s powers, although the mechanism for the effective accountability and criminal liability of the Prosecutor General and deputies was declared con- stitutional. The effectiveness of this mechanism is constrained by some procedural issues. As for the Supreme Judicial Council, the Constitutional Court dismissed the overall reform but considered that a restructuring would be possible. The long-term secondment of judges and the functioning of the Inspectorate to the Supreme Judicial Council remain a concern. A draft law to extend judicial review for prosecutorial decisions for cases of termination and suspension of investigations for victimless crimes was tabled. The level of perceived judicial independence in Bulgaria continues to be very low. The law on mandatory meeting for judicial mediation has been adopted. New digital tools have been introduced to improve access to justice. Initial data show that courts perform efficiently when dealing with civil and commercial proceedings.

Will firsthand experience of these events change how people think and act about climate change, making it seem immediate and local rather than a distant or future problem?

Research so far has offered a mixed picture. Some studies suggest going through extreme weather can make people more likely to believe in climate change, worry about it, support climate policies, and vote for Green parties. But other studies have found no such effects on people’s beliefs, concern, or behaviour.

https://theconversation.com/experiencing-extreme-weather-and-disasters-is-not-enough-to-change-views-on-climate-action-study-shows-260308

thank you!

Do you have more information on how it supports crossposting with Mastodon? As far as I know, Friendica supports its protocol, but that’s about it.

Unfortunately Diaspora does not use the ActivityPub protocol and doesn’t even bridge to it. They have made the deliberate choice to not ever have a sizeable community.

There are a lot of expectations from the relatively new European Public Prosecution Office (EPPO) in the region. At least in Croatia they start to deliver.

As for Žalac, I don’t really think she should be paid her stay in prison with taxpayer money, so they could let her out in home custody or whatever.

"The defendant Gabrijela Žalac was found guilty today. On the basis of her admission of guilt and the agreement between the parties, she has been sentenced to two years in prison. It should be noted, that prior to this verdict she voluntarily paid back to the state 200 thousand euros, a part of the damages she caused by her criminal actions,” said Sani Ljubičić, a prosecutor assigned to the case by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

Well, it’s like in Palestine: leaders of the two nations conspire against their own populations. Netanyahu has been funding Hamas, and now funds other extremists in Palestine. These are how he keeps under his control not only Palestinians, but also Israelis.

You are actually the heart of this community :)

Oh, no. 52 now. Now even you can’t undo the damage 😜

Two months of training and a possibility for alternative civil service are by no means comparable to what military service meant in the 20th century. As someone grown up then, I see this as acceptable. Some sort of civil service certainly makes sense to me.