Balkan News

Montenegro’s civil society has accused the country’s PM of encouraging attacks on journalists after two journalists were abused at the Democratic Party of Socialists’ convention on Thursday.Goran Malidzan, a journalist of the Podgorica-based daily newspapers Vijesti, and Bozidar Jelovac, his colleague from the daily newspaper Dan, claim they were verbally …

A former political prisoner, 51-year-old Gjergj Ndreca, set himself on fire on Monday in protest over the slow payment of reparations for the victims of the communist regime by the government.Ndreca poured gasoline over his body and set himself on fire in a Tirana neighbourhood where he and others held …

There is no possibility whatsoever of the UK introducing visas for Bulgarians, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, said on Monday.Mladenov has reminded that all EU labour restrictions for Bulgarian citizens will be lifted in 2014.

Croatia wants Serb refugees to return, the Croatian president Ivo Josipovic said on Friday.Speaking at a session of the Presidential Council for Social Justice, Josipovic said that Croatia has to solve all its refugee problems before it could “enter the EU as a country which offered equal chances to all …

The new Serbian government has launched a corruption probe into the dealings of Oliver Dulic, former Minister for Environment and Spatial Planning.The Serbian parliament will discuss on Monday the parliamentary Administrative Committee’s proposal to revoke the immunity of Oliver Dulic, the former Minister for Environment and Spatial Planning. If revoked, …

As Serbia prepares to implement a deal on border crossings with Kosovo, President Tomislav Nikolic suggests that PM Ivica Dacic should lead the negotiating team.President Tomislav Nikolic told the Serbian broadcaster B92 on Sunday night that he would propose that Prime Minister Ivica Dacic heads Belgrade’s team in negotiations with …

After a twelve hour discussion in the country’s parliament, Macedonian lawmakers on late Friday supported the government led by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.With 42 votes in favour, 68 against and none in abstention, lawmakers in the 123 seat parliament didn’t adopt the interpellation put forward by opposition Social Democrats.

For the twelve consecutive months, Macedonia’s industrial output has been in decline, largely due to the world financial crisis.Macedonia’s industrial output in August was down 8.1 per cent compared to August 2011, shows the latest data from the State Statistical Office.

At a session on Friday, the Macedonian government led by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski faces a no-confidence vote put forward by the opposition.The outcome of the vote is uncertain, as the junior ruling Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, refused to say clearly before the session whether it …

Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, said that the Bosnian Serb entity is the only self-sustaining part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and will eventually emerge as an independent country.Dodik believes that Republika Srpska is capable of becoming an independent country.