Slobodan Maričić

Albert Riera has been appointed Crvena zvezda’s new head coach on a two-year contract, replacing Dejan Stanković after the club’s poor European qualification campaign and defeat by Hapoel Be’er Sheva. The 44-year-old Spaniard is a former international player who represented clubs including Liverpool, Manchester City, Galatasaray and Olympiacos. As a coach, he achieved domestic success with Olimpija Ljubljana and Celje in Slovenia, but his career has also been marked by disputes with club officials, players and journalists. His most recent job at Eintracht Frankfurt ended after 14 matches, with four wins, five draws and five defeats. Riera’s debut for Crvena zvezda is scheduled against Viktoria Plzeň in the Europa League play-off.

Serbia’s parliament is scheduled to hold an extraordinary session on 27 July with a single agenda item: a vote on confidence in Prime Minister Đuro Macut’s government. Although the session was requested by 109 deputies from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, the governing coalition has a firm majority, making a no-confidence vote unlikely. If the government falls, a new cabinet must be formed within 30 days; otherwise, President Aleksandar Vučić would dissolve parliament and call elections. Vučić has said the government may resign first, followed by parliamentary elections and his departure from the presidency. The potential vote comes after mass anti-government protests following the Novi Sad railway-station canopy collapse, which killed 16 people, and amid student demands for early elections. The article reviews how the SNS has repeatedly initiated early elections since taking power in 2012 and has won each time, while analysts argue that such elections have been used to reinforce its dominance and weaken the opposition.

Pastor Mark Berns, a controversial American evangelical figure tied to Donald Trump, visited Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, awarding President Aleksandar Vučić a badge naming him a “spiritual diplomat.” His visit drew scrutiny due to past controversies about his education, military record, and public statements, alongside criticism that the role he claims to hold under Trump does not formally exist. Berns used the trip to promote interfaith dialogue, meeting Serbian church leaders, attending diplomatic events, and publicly documenting his movements. The profile highlights his political activism, ties to Trump, legal and personal struggles, and efforts to position himself as a global religious mediator.

The piece reflects on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis following her death, highlighting its portrayal of childhood, rebellion, and life during and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Scholars and activists describe the work’s cultural impact, its challenge to Western stereotypes about Iran, and its significance in illustrating women’s autonomy and the complexities of Iranian identity. The article also outlines Satrapi’s activism, her criticism of both Iranian authorities and Western policies, and the lasting political and educational controversies surrounding Persepolis.