Balkans

Serbian police confirmed last week that they have detained 12 people suspected of involvement in atrocities committed in the Croatian village of Lovas in October and November 1991. They include four members of the former Yugoslav People’s Army, four members of a local Serb territorial defence force, and four volunteer …

While it may take year before a state prison is in place in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the country must take urgent steps to deal with the shortcomings in its current detention system, High Representative Christian Schwarz-Schilling said Friday (June 1st).

The youngest candidate and the one with the briefest party membership, Zoran Milanovic, is the new president of Croatia’s main opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP). He triumphed in the second round of voting at the extraordinary party convention on Saturday (June 2nd), winning 828 votes. His rival in the runoff, …

In a move aimed at creating a friendlier investment climate and making the economy more competitive, the Albanian government approved a fiscal package last week that includes implementing a 10% flat tax — the lowest level in Southeast Europe. Corporate taxes will also be slashed to 10%.

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev said Saturday (June 2nd) that he has accepted the resignations of Economy and Energy Minister Rumen Ovcharov and Justice Minister Georgi Petkanov, due to an ongoing corruption scandal. Ovcharov is a member of the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), while Petkanov belongs …

HELSINKI, Finland — The European Commission (EC) will resume Stabilisation and Association Agreement negotiations with Serbia, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told Serbian President Boris Tadic in Helsinki on Saturday (June 2nd).

Democraţii au încercat să depună din nou moţiunea de cenzură împotriva Guvernului, dar aceasta a fost din nou restituită. Motivul este acelaşi ca şi joi: un număr insificient de semnături. Asta deoarece în momentul depunerii documentului a sosit cererea lui Mihai Lupoi de a-şi retrage semnătura de susţinere.

Soarta moţiunii de cenzură şi implicit susţinerea pentru guvern s-ar putea decide în acest weekend. Este de aşteptat ca social-demcoraţii să se întâlnească astăzi şi mâine cu conducerea Partidului Naţional Liberal şi respectiv cu cea a Partidului Democrat.

Western nations introduced on Thursday (May 31st) a revised draft of a UN Security Council resolution backing a plan to grant internationally supervised independence to Kosovo, but Russia rejected it immediately.

Zdravko Tolimir, a former Republika Srpska (RS) army officer thought to be one of the main organisers of the network helping top war crimes indictee Ratko Mladic elude justice, was arrested in the Bosnian Serbia entity on Thursday (May 31st).