Harrison Budak
As seen in:
Impact Entrepreneur,
Transitions,
The Diplomat Magazine,
Global Voices,
Fair Observer,
Pressenza in English,
North West Bylines,
China Observers
Covers:
Anti-corruption efforts, energy and infrastructure development, EU integration, immigration, impact investing, inter-ethnic relations, legacies of communism, organized crime, social policy.
Articles by Harrison Budak
Chinese Police in the Western Balkans: Cooperation or a Wider Influence Network? – chinaobservers
This article is part of a series of articles authored by young, aspiring China scholars under the Future CHOICE initiative. Amid growing numbersof Chinese tourists flocking to the Western Balkans, China has stepped up surveillance of its nationals through joint patrols and police stations based abroad. While denying these accusations, Beijing has been keen to quell dissenters and has its citizens.
Wartime Weapons in the Balkans and the Zone of No Responsibility
Following the Yugoslav wars, many in the region possess illegal weapons that pose a threat to public safety. Critics say governments have not done enough. In late November in the quiet city of Novska in central Croatia, a woman was tidying her garden when she stumbled upon several dozen rounds of ammunition and a hand grenade, likely left over from the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
Tyldesley residents fight mega warehouse development
Home Region Greater Manchester Tyldesley residents are demanding greater transparency in the planning permission that greenlighted a huge warehouse development byHarrison Budak 28-12-2025 13:23 - Updated On 30-12-2025 11:35 in Greater Manchester, Local Business, Politics Reading Time: 7 mins A A The view from a resident’s garden window with the warehouses in the background. Source: Astley Warehouses Action, Facebook.
We could all easily be ‘Aco’: Slovenia’s controversial new law seeks to address the challenge of Roma integration
Novo Mesto, Slovenia. Image by Andrej via Wikimedia Commons.CC BY-SA 4.0. In early October, Slovenians were stunned by the vicious murder of 48-year-old Aleš Šutar, a pub owner in the southeastern city of Novo Mesto who was more popularly known by his nickname, Aco. The killing took place outside the LokalPatriot nightclub after Šutar received a message from his son who said he was being threatened by a group of men.
Slovenes Debate the Right to Die
Sunday’s referendum on assisted suicide could soon make country first in the region with such a law put into practice. In 2024, around 55% of Slovene voters approved the development of an assisted dying law in a consultative non-binding referendum. Despite numerous challenges, including concerns from physicians who pushed for the exclusion of euthanasia, the Act on Assisted Voluntary End of Life was then passed on 18 July 2025, albeit without parliamentary debate.
Croatia Tightens Rules for Foreign Workers
Pushback over foreign-language advertising is just one sign of Croatia’s problem with foreign labor as it desperately searches for young workers. “Home is closer than you think” shout billboards for the German supermarket chain Kaufland in Zagreb, the Croatian capital. The words are in Filipino and Hindi, aimed at some of the more than 100,000 foreign temporary workers in the country, whose presence has become a hot political issue.
Who Will Control Syria’s Oil? Croatia’s INA and Other Oil Giants Eye a Return
While large-scale combat in Syria has seen a reduction, a new battle has begun for the resources that lie beneath the soil in one of West Asia’s smaller oil and gas producers. Croatian oil and gas company INA, who stopped work in 2012 following European Union and U.S. sanctions against Bashar al Assad’s regime, are one of several international players that may be eager to capitalize on the renewed economic potential within the West Asian state.
Balkans Power Up for Europe’s Energy Future
As the bloc adapts to a future without Russian energy, candidate countries are becoming increasingly important assets in the race to energy independence Southeast of Skopje, machines bustle as the largest wind farm in the Western Balkans takes shape. Spanning nearly 326 hectares, the 400 MW facility in ?tip will supply power to 100,000 families — a remarkable feat given that North Macedonia’s capital has just over 530,000 residents.
How Corruption Scandals in Croatia’s Healthcare Sector Undermine Democracy
Bribing doctors and bid-rigging hospital procurement contracts contribute to a climate of distrust and frustration. From Global Voices. At the end of June, a department head at Croatia’s largest hospital was arrested amid a corruption investigation into the purchase of supplies. Dr. Ana Budimir, in charge of the Department of Clinical and Molecular Microbiology at University Hospital Center Zagreb (also known as KBC Zagreb or Rebro), was taken into custody along with seven others.
How corruption scandals in Croatia’s healthcare sector undermine democracy
At the end of June, a department head at Croatia’s largest hospital was arrested amid a corruption investigation into the purchase of supplies. Dr. Ana Budimir, in charge of the Department of Clinical and Molecular Microbiology at University Hospital Centre Zagreb (also known as KBC Zagreb or Rebro), was taken into custody along with seven others. The group is accused of favoritism in the procurement of antibacterial water filters purchased from AirMed Solutions.
Crackdown Against Protesters Quickly Reveals Old Wounds In Serbia
Protestors in Serbia have faced increasing use of force by the police as they’ve incorporated increasing civil disobedience into their tactics. The students, who had been leading rallies until recently, issued a deadline for the government to set a date for snap elections. Once it had come and gone, they began to set up roadblocks in major cities. Despite most being dismantled by the police, protesters create another as soon as one is overturned, drawing the frustration of the authorities.
What Ukraine hopes to learn from Croatia’s demining experience
Recently at the Ukraine Southeast Europe summit, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković reiterated his country’s commitment to support Ukraine in its demining efforts in addition to a continuation of humanitarian, economic and military aid. This comes after the two nations forged a stronger long-term cooperation agreement last October centred upon demining, veteran care and the prosecution of war crimes.
What Bosnia & Herzegovina Teaches Us About the Limits of Western Intervention
In late March, a court in Sarajevo issued an arrest warrant for Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, convicted of attacking the constitutional order and ignoring rulings made by the country’s international envoy. In response to the verdict, Dodik urged his supporters “not to worry” and called the conviction “nonsense”.
Rewiring Croatia’s Energy Sector
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Disarray, dilution, discontent: Three facts of the 2025 Croatian presidential election
Zoran Milanović was the runaway victor in his bid to be re-elected as Croatia’s president for a second consecutive term. Celebrations were, however, overshadowed by dismissals from within Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's cabinet and ballooning costs for everyday citizens. Milanović’s victory in the 2024–2025 election, at nearly 75 percent, was by far the largest margin between candidates in Croatia’s presidential election history.
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