Balkan News

The Bulgaria for Citizens party of former EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva has proposed the establishment of a new ministerial portfolio for Bulgaria’s Severozapaden (northwestern) region, the poorest NUTS 2 region in the EU.

Eighteen police officers and 10 activists from Vetevendosje, the Kosovan opposition party, have been injured during a protest against the Kosovo – Serbia talks.The protests in Pristina’s Mother Teresa square are continuing, and large numbers of police reinforcements have been brought in to protect the security perimeter. The protesters are …

Croatian leaders have removed the country’s head of national security following a phone-tapping scandal, while insisting the police did not violate any laws.Croatian President Ivo Josipovic and Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said on Monday they had decided to remove Petar Misevic as head of the Office of the National Security …

At the trial for war crimes committed at the Croatian military prison Kerestinec, a witness testified that the prison commander, Stjepan Klaric, admitted that the prisoners were abused.Testifying on Friday at the trial of the Kerestinec prison commander, Klaric, and his four subordinates, Ivan Ivankovic, a former officer of the …

Prosecutors have charged former Interior Minister Ljube Boskoski with assisting in the murder in 2001 of two people, naming three Serbian citizens as direct perpetrators.The indictment, filed before the Criminal Court in Skopje, included 15 people who helped in the planning, execution and cover-up of the double murder of Marjan …

Greece and the troika of international lenders (EU, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund) are likely to miss their scheduled date – an EU summit on October 18 – to agree measures to sort out the Greek economy in exchange for new credit, Greek Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras said …

European Montenegro coalition led by Milo Djukanovic’s party has won the general election, according to first results, but will not have enough seats to govern alone.Milo Djukanovic, the leader of the European Montenegro coalition declared victory in front of a cheering crowd of supporters gathered at the headquarters of Democratic …

A German MP has questioned whether Croatia is ready to join the European Union.Norbert Lammert, president of the Bundestag, the German parliament, last week told the German media that the country is not yet prepared to become a member of the union. “Croatia’s obviously not ready for accession yet,” said …

Statistics agencies in Bosnia have started a test census to highlight possible problems in the system ahead of a nationwide survey in April next year.The pilot population and housing census began on October 15 and will continue for two weeks until October 29. It will be conducted in 60 areas …

The Serbian prosecutor’s office for organised crime has seized the passport of a former minister suspected of abusing his position.The passport of Oliver Dulic, the former minister for environment and spatial planning, was sent to Belgrade’s High Court on Sunday to prevent him from leaving the country.