November, 2012

• 8 November

  Bulgaria Declares Mourning For Patriarch

  As the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Christian Church dies after 41 years in his post, the government has declared a day of mourning.Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers has ordered a national day of mourning on November 9 for Patriarch Maxim, who died 98 on Tuesday.

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• 8 November

  Most Serbs Support New Govt, Poll Shows

  A new poll suggests people are broadly satisfied with the work of the government after its first 100 days.Some 31 per cent of Serbian citizens support the government in part, 27 per cent support it fully, while 30 per cent do not support it at all, according to a survey …

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• 8 November

  Romania Vows to Restore Ravaged Forests

  After loggers ravaged many forests in Romania in recent years, the authorities are planning to revive areas stripped of their vegetation by planting millions of saplings.“Let’s reforest the country,” an initiative of the Environment Ministry, plans to plant around 26 million saplings in November alone, mainly in areas worst affected …

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• 7 November

  Greek Lawmakers to Vote on New Austerity Measures

  Greek lawmakers are preparing to vote Wednesday on new austerity measures required for another infusion of bailout funding from the European Union, as a public workers’ strike is in its second day. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is expected to narrowly win support for the austerity package, which includes $17 billion …

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• 7 November

  Kosovo, Serbia PMs to Meet Again in Brussels

  Hashim Thaci and Ivica Dacic are meeting for a second time in Brussels to discuss normalization of relations between the two estranged neighbours.The Kosovo and Serbian leaders are expected to hold a joint meeting with the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Brussels on Wednesday, Ashton’s office has confirmed. …

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• 7 November

  Kacin Wants Missing Persons on Kosovo Talks Agenda

  The European Parliament’s rapporteur for Serbia wants the issue of missing persons to be included in the upcoming Belgrade-Pristina talks.Jelko Kacin, the European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, urged the authorities in Kosovo and Serbia to address the pressing issue of more than 1,700 people still missing since the Kosovo war …

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• 7 November

  Montenegro’s Opposition MPs Protest Against Anthem

  Several MPs from Montenegro’s opposition alliance were absent from the chamber when the national anthem was sung at the parliament’s inaugural session, a gesture which may complicate inter-party relations.The new Montenegrin parliament was constituted on Tuesday. However, some of the 81 parliamentary seats still remained empty at the very start …

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• 7 November

  Bosnia Revisits Macedonian President’s Death

  Bosnia’s aviation authorities have promised to look at new evidence from Macedonia concerning the 2004 plane crash that killed President Trajkovski.Sotir Kostov, head of the Macedonian state commission for the investigation of aviation accidents, confirmed the fresh information, which is likely to revive speculation that Boris Trajkovski may have been …

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• 7 November

  EU Urges Balkans to Stop Asylum Seekers

  EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom called Balkan states on Monday in Tirana to cut the number of asylum seekers.“There has been a rise of 73 per cent of the number of asylums seekers compared with the previous year,” Malmstrom told a conference of justice and interior ministers …

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• 7 November

  Romania Slaps Curbs on Election ‘Gifts’

  Bucharest has ordered strict limits on what politicians may hand out to voters during the election campaign – though some wonder if the measures will make much difference.A month before crucial parliamentary elections in Romania, the government on Tuesday adopted an emergency decree aimed at curbing the tradition of vote-buying …

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