Eurasia News

During a week of meetings, EU officials urged Bosnian politicians to move forward towards ending electoral discrimination by allowing minorities to run for top positions.The EU’s delegation to Bosnia stepped up pressure for the implementation of a key human rights ruling that would allow minorities to run for top governing …

A south-east Europe press freedom group has raised concerns about political pressure and hate speech directed against media across the Balkans in recent months.The South East Europe Media Organisation, SEEMO, said that some politicians had threatened journalists while some media had flouted professional standards and endangered press colleagues. SEEMO said …

Montenegrins whose wages are higher than the country’s average now have to pay more income tax to plug gaps in the state budget.Montenegro on Friday introduced a 6 per cent income tax hike on salaries which are higher than the country’s average of 720 euro gross, as the government tries …

Activists rallied on Saturday in front of Tirana’s main court, protesting against the acquittal of senior officers accused of killing three protestors in the January 21, 2011 riots.“We are sounding the alarm that the justice system is being held hostage by an autocratic system,” a political commentator, Andrea Stefani, told …

The Liberal Democratic Party and United Regions of Serbia are readying for snap local elections in Belgrade, as tensions grow between the city’s ruling Socialists and Democrats.The Liberal Democratic Party, LDP, and United Regions of Serbia, URS, have started preparations for local elections in Belgrade. No official statements have been …

Moody’s on Friday downgraded Croatia’s credit rating from Baa3 to Ba1, citing poor economic growth prospects and the government’s lack of fiscal flexibility.The agency also changed the outlook on Croatia’s rating from negative to stable, citing only a limited risk of a significant deterioration in the government’s fiscal position and …

The US Embassy in Tirana has expressed shock at the acquittal of two Republican Guard officers accused of the murder of three protesters during the January 21, 2011 riots.“We are dismayed by the decision of the Tirana District Court to acquit the two defendants who stood trial on charges related …

Serbia’s war crimes prosecutor said there were new leads in the investigation into alleged organ trading by Kosovo fighters during the late 1990s conflict.War crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic told the Novi Magazin weekly that Serbian prosecutors had informed the EU’s rule of law mission in Kosovo that a new witness …

Bulgarian nationalist party takes government to task for blaming pro-Iranian militants for last year’s terror attack in Burgas.Bulgaria will pay a high price for maintaining that Hezbollah was involved in last year’s terror attack in the Black Sea resort of Burgas, the leader of the country’s nationalist Ataka party has …

A former UN peacekeeping forces official told the Hague Tribunal that Bosnian Serb forces under Mladic’s command targeted civilians with artillery and sniper fire.The Bosnian Serb Army “constantly shelled and conducted sniper attacks against civilians in Sarajevo” said Anthony Banbury, who served with the UN protection force UNPROFOR in the …