Balkans

Bosnia and Herzegovina is once again making headlines. There is talk of renewed violence, with the blessing of Belgrade and Moscow. But the entire region is in a precarious situation. Back in September 2021, tensions ran high in Montenegro following the decision to anoint Bishop Joanikije II as the new …

A man convicted of terrorism in Belgium has been detained as he entered Bulgaria through its south-eastern border with Turkey, prosecutors announced on Thursday. Border police and state security agents intercepted the man on Wednesday in a special operation, the prosecution said. He is “sought in relation to a 20-year …

What is behind the current crisis in Bosnia? Bosnia and Herzegovina (commonly referred to as Bosnia) is facing a dual challenge that threatens to undo the agreement that ended a war between Serbs, Croats and Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks). The war was marked by the worst atrocities on European soil since …

A member of parliament gone missing, deputies with COVID in full protective suits stuck for hours in glass cubicles, no quorum for a plenary session to resume, numerous press conferences by the opposition – threats, appeals and frustration. That sums up the dramatic events on Thursday, when the opposition failed …

In November 2001, the Serbian State Security Service’s Special Operations Unit staged a mutiny and set up roadblocks. The failure to punish the instigators of the armed revolt would have deadly consequences for the country’s prime minister. “The commander ordered that the Communication Centre will no longer receive calls,” said …

The Hungarian premier’s weekend meeting with Bosnian Serb political leader Milorad Dodik has triggered speculation about possible private business deals or secret negotiations about the fate of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Viktor Orban’s meeting with the Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik, on Saturday has continued to puzzle experts …

The sudden death of Bosniak strongman Muamer Zukorlic has shocked the mainly Muslim region, which straddles Serbia and Montenegro, and where he left a unique mark. One of the largest crowds that the town of Novi Pazar in southwest Serbia has ever seen gathered on Sunday to say farewell to …

A change in government in Hungary could spell the end of a comfortable exile for North Macedonia’s fugitive ex-prime minister, but extraditing Nikola Gruevski would take more than political will alone. Afugitive from justice in his home country of North Macedonia, and a political asylum seeker in Hungary under the …

The latest session of the UN Security Council only reaffirmed once again the crisis caused in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the actions of the Serb Member of the BiH Presidency Milorad Dodik (SNSD) with the assistance of the Russian Federation. At the same time, no concrete solutions and conclusions were …

While the November 14 presidential election looks like a shoo-in for the incumbent Radev, the general election on the same day looks harder to call Bulgaria is closing an unprecedented year: by the end of 2021, its citizens will have voted in no less than four elections: inconclusive general elections …