Balkans Blog
Reflections from our correspondents on the ground in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and Romania.
October 6, 2026
I’ve just spent a week in Moldova, the tiny republic that boarders Ukraine that is trying to pick itself up by its bootstraps and join the EU. And it’s doing a good job as it has become a leading accession candidate. But it is very small and poor
October 1, 2026
Days before Bosnia's October 4 election, Milorad Dodik and Republika Srpska's prime minister won Putin's backing, a steady gas price and talks on defence-industry cooperation, complicating Bosnia's stalled EU path.
September 21, 2026
A student movement born on the streets is taking its broad coalition to the ballot box. Its success will depend on whether politics built around change can win enough votes to enter parliament — and potentially govern.
September 19, 2026
Croatia is blocking Montenegro from closing an EU accession chapter in the latest in a series of long-running bilateral disputes that have turned into a wider test of the accession process.
September 7, 2026
Will the Gospic toxic waste dump trigger a 'Flamingo Revolution' in Croatia?
July 16, 2026
The European Union's renewed drive to expand eastwards could face its biggest political obstacle yet if French far-right leader Marine Le Pen wins the 2027 presidential election.
July 10, 2026
‘Flamingo revolution’ protesters take to the streets of Tirana nightly, but government officials dismiss them as ‘crows’ and ‘ravens’.
June 27, 2026
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić has confirmed he will resign within weeks, signalling the start of an election campaign that could reshape the country's political landscape.
June 12, 2026
Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government has been targeted by a wave of mass protests dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution".
June 4, 2026
What began as an environmental campaign against the planned development linked to Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has rapidly evolved into a broader protest movement.
May 26, 2026
Is Aleksandar Vučić finally running out of road? In Serbia, it is the question that follows every large protest.
May 26, 2026
EU sidelined as Washington warns over China and Russia's influence in new strategy document, while Xi Jinping honours Serbia’s president in Beijing.
April 30, 2026
Mega deals announced by Trump-linked companies brings up concerns over corruption and environmental impact similar to those raised over Chinese and Middle Eastern investments in the past.
April 1, 2026
Strong pro-Palestine sentiment in Slovenia causes alleged interference by Israeli private security firm ahead of general election to backfire.
March 2, 2026
Albanian PM Edi Rama has emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken backers of the US-Israeli military action against "murderers in Tehran".
February 25, 2026
International focus is on Hungary's upcoming general election, but the outcomes of spring 2026 votes in Bulgaria and Slovenia could also affect the future of Central Europe’s illiberal bloc.
December 7, 2025
The largest anti-fascist demonstrations Croatia has seen in years highlighted a widening rift between the country’s political left and right.
November 11, 2025
20 years since North Macedonia was given EU candidate status, the country's European dream endures — battered, delayed, but not yet extinguished.
September 28, 2025
The authorities in Chisinau have responded to Russian interference with strategies that would, under normal circumstances, be considered on the verge of unconstitutional.
September 2, 2025
Milorad Dodik has been stripped of his role as president of Bosnia's Republika Srpska but he is continuing to operate as if still in power.