Balkans

Informality allows people to change their immediate circumstances for the better, but it locks the state and society in a vicious circle of reproduction of a weak state, promising insecurity for the majority and prosperity for the few, Vesna Bojicic-Dzelilovic and Denisa Kostovicova write for openDemocracy. To deflect criticism for …

Albania’s parliament approved on Monday two appointments to fill cabinet posts of deputy prime minister and economy minister. In a 72-0 vote, lawmakers in the 140-seat parliament endorsed the appointment

Prosecutor of the EULEX Mission in Kosovo Isabelle Arnal conferred Monday in Tirana with Albanian colleagues. They talked about starting an investigation into human organ trafficking in Kosovo and Albania

The European Parliament (EP) has postponed a plenary session vote today, that was to ratify EU’s Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia. The voting was rescheduled for Wednesday for technical reasons. The EP, which is in session until Thursday, will hold a debate and then vote to ratify the …

Turkey and Greece will hold a new round of exploratory talks, Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. The 49th round of exploratory talks between the two countries will take place in Ankara on Wednesday.

Police in Israel have arrested a Bosnian man suspected of participating in the genocide in Srebrenica in 1995. Cvetkovic, 43, was arrested today by Israel’s National Unit for the Investigation of Serious and International Crime.

Miroslav Milojevic, representing Republika Srpska’s Interior Ministry, takes over the post of deputy head of the UN mission in Cyprus on Monday (January 17th). Milojevic has been serving within the mission since May 2009.

Voters in eight municipalities turned out on Sunday (January 16th) for snap local elections. According to preliminary results, Albin Muslic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won 53.7 % of the votes in the Bihac

The Albanian local elections process set for May 8th should set a good example, head of the Central Election Commission Arben Ristani said on Sunday (January 16th). “We hope that political parties, which I believe

US Ambassador to Kosovo Christopher Dell is urging Kosovo politicians to forget an endless election cycle, and instead focus on the rule of law, good governance, and economic growth. In an editorial published on Saturday (January 15th), Dell wrote that Kosovo needs an honest