Balkans

The Bulgarian position at the European Council in December, during which the start of negotiations between the European Union (EU) and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) is planned for discussion, will entirely depend on how the government in Skopje continues or changes its current line of behaviour towards …

The Sofia Regional Court has ordered a mental health check for a Bulgarian female who cut the flag of the European Union at the Supreme Court of Cassation building. 29-year-old Mariya Georgieva has been charged with hooliganism for damaging the EU flag; her mental health will be tested in a …

Macedonia plans fresh measures to boost population growth amind growing official panic over falling birthrate and rising number of pensioners.Amid talk of a growing demographic crisis in the country, Macedonia’s Social Affairs Minister, Spiro Ristovski, says the government is working on a new set of measures to combat what he …

Opposition parties in Serbia say the government has not consulted them while drafting the platform for Kosovo talks and is wrongfully keeping the document secret.Borislav Stefanovic, Serbia’s former chief negotiator in EU-led Kosovo talks and member of the opposition Democrats, said it was absurd that the government’s draft platform on …

The dispute between the Serbian and Macedonian Orthodox churches will be on the agenda during Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic’s two-day visit to Macedonia.President Nikolic and his Macedonian counterpart, Gjorge Ivanov, at their meeting on Friday will among other issues “tackle the row between the Serbian and Macedonian Orthodox churches”, a …

The EU has warned Balkan countries that if they don’t lower the number of asylum seekers, visas may have to be re-introduced.Following a meeting of the EU interior ministers on Thursday, officials say that Balkan countries need to curb the number of people seeking asylum in Western Europe, describing the …

In Berlin, Croatia’s Prime Minister described the recent controversy over Germany’s position on his country’s EU bid as a “storm in a teacup.”Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic on Thursday said concerns over recent negative statements by a German politician about Croatia’s readiness to enter the European Union were “a storm …

Muslims in Bosnia celebrate on Friday Eid-al-Adha, one of the two greatest religious holidays, differently than their fellows in Macedonia, Albania or Turkey due to different calendar calculations.

Serbia’s former president looks likely to abandon his ambitions to remain at the helm of the Democratic Party and cede the post to Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas.On the eve of the deadline for filing candidacy submissions in the Democratic Party leadership elections, the party leader, Boris Tadic, has decided to …

The first sentence on former Croatian PM Ivo Sanader for taking bribes could be issued by the end of November, the trial chamber presiding Judge Ivan Turudic announced.”The sentence could be issued between November 15 and 20 but it’s not definite yet,” Judge Turudic said at Thursday’s trial session. Sanader, …