Government commissioned ‘Clean Start’ project uncovers huge financial holes in ministries and public sector companies and lists a catalogue of systemic shortcomings.A government commissioned study of Croatia’s public sector has uncovered massive hidden debts and a poor culture of management. Croatia paid the international advisory firms KPMG and BDO 2.3 …
Read More »Montenegro Expected To Call Presidential Election
Ranko Krivokapic, the speaker of parliament, is expected to call a presidential election by the end of next week after meeting the heads of various parties.Before calling the presidential election, Krivokapic will meet representatives of all parliamentary parties, Radio Antena M said on Tuesday. The mandate of the current President, …
Read More »Macedonian Capital to Recycle Communal Waste
An Italian company in partnership with the city will invest €73 million in order to turn Skopje’s communal waste landfill into a modern recycling facility.The public-private partnership deal that the city signed with the Italian consortium, FCL AMBIENTE SRL and UNIECO SCC COOP, aims to cut the amount of waste …
Read More »Greece making big efforts, Greek PM tells Germany
Merkel says EU must agree more reforms by June summiteece is making enormous efforts to get its economy back on track despite the pain this involves for its citizens, its prime minister Antonis Samaras said on Tuesday on a visit to Germany, chief champion of austerity in Europe. German Chancellor …
Read More »Nimetz Starts New Push For Macedonia ‘Name’ Deal
The UN mediator in the Macedonia-Greece ‘name’ talks, Matthew Nimetz, is visiting Athens and Skopje, bringing fresh proposals for a solution to the dispute.Officials in Athens and Skopje expect the UN mediator in the longstanding dispute over Macedonia’s name – to which Greece objects – to put forward some fresh …
Read More »Croatian President Slams Ex-Generals’ Double Pensions
Croatia’s leader called for change after revelations that at least seven former generals are receiving military pensions from both Croatia and BosniaThe daily newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija revealed on Monday that at least seven former Croatian generals are receiving pensions from Zagreb and Sarajevo because of their roles in both the …
Read More »Hague Tribunal Hears Mass Grave Testimony
The trial of former Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic resumed for 2013 with testimony about the exhumation of war crimes victims from mass graves.Davor Strinovic, a Croatian medical expert who was part of a commission tasked with finding missing people, said he helped to exhume bodies at the Ovcara farm …
Read More »Bosnia Launches New War Crimes Indictments
Bosnia’s regional prosecutors have made a prompt start to the year by pressing ahead with three new war crimes cases.After a review of the remaining war crimes cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina was carried out last year, all of the less complex cases – some 600 of them – were …
Read More »UK Rightists Oppose Opening Border to Bulgaria, Romania
UK Independence Party says it will campaign hard against lifting restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians working in Britain in 2014.The leader of Britain’s rightwing UK Independence Party, which has seen a recent surge in support in the polls, says it would be “irresponsible” to open British borders to Bulgarians and …
Read More »Albania Minister Apologizes for Not Paying Tax
After Balkan Insight lifted the lid on top Albanian officials who had not paid their car registration taxes, the Minister of Transport, Sokol Olldashi, has apologized.“Minister Olldashi publicly apologizes for not paying the taxes for his vehicle, which his wife uses,” his office said in a statement. “This fact is …
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