Balkans

Anyone can declare their nationality as they see fit, but experts say some politicians in Bosnia are abusing the right for political gain. In October 2018, Zvonko Maric was elected as a deputy in the cantonal assembly of Sarajevo, one of 10 that make up the mainly Bosniak and Croat …

Since the licence plate crisis erupted, Kosovo’s Prime Minister has become sandwiched between criticism coming from all sides, both at home and abroad. Kosovo’s Prime Minister has endured an eventful few weeks, with criticism coming from all over the place, both home and abroad – until he agreed to withdraw …

Zoran Milanovic’s offensive approach to neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina underscores the folly in the theory that EU membership would raise standards and encourage good neighbourly relations. When Croatia joined the European Union in 2013, the vast majority of academics and pundits in Bosnia and Herzegovina were enthusiastic; they believed that …

Far-right groups in the Balkans have long had a soft spot for the Italian fascism of the past. The new government in Rome can provide fresh inspiration. The end of the COVID-19 emergency, the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and the inflation crisis in Europe have all boosted support for …

A historical drama by young Albanian film director Eduart Grishaj suggests that shared culture and human understanding can offer Albanians and Serbs a counter-narrative to prejudice, hatred and ethnically-motivated violence. Although more than 70 years apart in time, two women called Sophia are connected through an incident dating from one …

The EU warned of “escalation and violence” on Monday (21 November) after Serbia and Kosovo failed to reach a deal in emergency talks in Brussels to end their long-running dispute over car license plates used by the ethnic Serb minority in Kosovo. “After many hours of discussion (…) the two …

Bulgaria’s caretaker government and Lukoil Neftochim Bulgaria have agreed that it can continue operating and exporting oil products to the EU until the end of 2024, as long as it pays its taxes in full, despite European Commission warnings this would breach the bloc’s sanctions regime. According to the Deputy …

Evidence obtained from a crackdown on the Sky ECC encrypted messaging app has shed more light on the support that crime gangs enjoy from public officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has confirmed that evidence obtained from the crackdown of an encrypted messaging app …

Concerns are growing over the government’s handling of a programme to move Ukrainian refugees from hotels to state-owned facilities, undermining their integration into Bulgarian society. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, Bulgarians have been pressing their authorities to do more for the tens of thousands of refugees who …

If the political class doesn’t get to grips with the mass exodus of the young, and give them more opportunities, they risk ending up with no one to rule over. Ivisited my maternal birthplace of Prusac near the central Bosnian town of Donji Vakuf twice last summer. Once a vibrant …