Search Results for: Balkans

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kosovo officially set April 21 as the scheduled date for conducting referendums regarding the dismissal of four Albanian mayors from municipalities. These mayors, whose elections took place last year, have been a source of heightened tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.  Citizens of Serb-dominated municipalities, including North Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zubin [...]

READ MORE

Bulgarian authorities announced Monday that they had imposed an entry ban on two Russian nationals, alleging that they had set up false identities in order to engage in espionage. In the statement, they said that Vladimir Nikolayevich Gorochkin and Tatiana Anatolievna Gorochkina have been banned from entry and residence in the territory of any member [...]

READ MORE

The US and the EU issued statements on Saturday and Friday highlighting their concerns over the Kosovo government’s recent actions in relation to the raiding of Serbian-run organisations, as well as the banning of Serbian currency. The US Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey M. Hovenier, said that the US government was “deeply concerned about recent actions [...]

READ MORE

The Serbian Ministry of Defence announced Thursday the launch of an initiative to bring back mandatory military service in Serbia. Serbia had mandatory military service for male citizens until 2010. The mandatory military service requirement applied to men. The length of service varied, but it was typically around six months. The Deputy Prime Minister and [...]

READ MORE

Public attitude toward minority rights usually can serve as a good baseline for testing a country’s level of general democracy and tolerance. Croatia became a European Union member in 2013 and is criticised for its undemocratic society. Inside the country, there are constant debates on this ground about whether Croatia should be affiliated with Western [...]

READ MORE

Slovenia announced temporary border controls with Croatia and Hungary on Saturday, citing increased security concerns, as reported by Slovenia’s state media organization STA. The border controls are set to be in effect for at least 10 days. The measure follows Italy’s decision to do the same at its border with Slovenia. The Slovenian government cited [...]

READ MORE

On Friday, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the two adult children of Bosnian Serb and pro-Russia leader Milorad Dodik and their associated business entities for their alleged involvement in his ongoing corruption. According to the OFAC press release, companies such as Global Liberty d.o.o. Laktasi (Global Liberty), Agro Voce [...]

READ MORE

Poland and the Czech Republic announced on Thursday that they will extend border controls with Slovakia until November 2nd as all three countries aim to slow the flow of illegal migration. Poland’s Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski released a statement stating that checks will be carried out more frequently at checkpoints along the Balkan migration route [...]

READ MORE

French journalist Ariane Lavrilleux was arrested Tuesday by the French General Directorate of Internal Security (CGSI) following a complaint that her 2021 co-authored report on a French military operation in Egypt compromised national defense secrets. The report, titled the Egypt Papers was published on Disclose, an independent media outlet. Disclose also released a documentary titled [...]

READ MORE