Kosovo
Serbia braces for clashes as Kosovo Serbs join protests in Belgrade
Serbs from Kosovo have arrived in Belgrade after a week-long march, joining pro-government demonstrators calling for an end to over a year of student-led blockades and anti-government protests.
New members expected to join EU by 2030 as enlargement momentum builds
Top European Commission officials say admitting new member states to the European Union by 2030 is now a “realistic goal”.
Ex-parliament speaker Konjufca proposed as Kosovo’s next PM in attempt to break deadlock
Vetëvendosje leader and acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has been unable to secure support to form a government since the February general election.
Western Balkan countries become emerging players in Europe’s defence efforts
The Western Balkans could play an increasingly important role in strengthening Europe’s security architecture, says a new report from the Carnegie Europe think-tank.
Emerging Europe’s growth holds up but risks loom, says wiiw
Fiscal fragility, weakening industrial demand from Germany, and the prolonged fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine threaten to undermine growth momentum in parts of the region.
UK sanctions Balkan gangs and financiers over people-smuggling networks
Measures target criminal networks involved in producing fake travel documents and an illicit financial group accused of supplying small boat engines to smugglers, Foreign Office says.
EU mulls partial membership plan to ease enlargement and bypass veto risks
Move is aimed at moving forward with enlargement and overcoming resistance from EU members such as Hungary, but reaching consensus to be a challenge.
Thousands rally in Tirana demanding justice for former KLA leaders on trial in The Hague
Albanian PM Edi Rama called the protest, urging all Albanians to unite behind what he described as a “national cause” — defending the honour and legacy of Kosovo’s wartime leaders.
The EU needs to change to stay geopolitically relevant
Leading EU figures are pushing for the unanimity rule used to make important decisions to be dropped to enable faster enlargement — one of the bloc’s main tools for geopolitical influence.
Kosovo’s former president Thaçi fights for his freedom in The Hague
Ongoing war crimes trial of top former KLA leaders will shape the contested memory of Kosovo's war of independence and define its standing abroad.
World Bank projects growth upturn for Western Balkans from 2027
But region needs to focus on job creation and reforms to catch up with average EU living standards within the next 40 years.
Austria and Slovenia advocate qualified majority voting to unblock EU enlargement
Dropping unanimity requirement could accelerate the accession process for Ukraine, Moldova and potentially Western Balkans, but faces opposition from within the EU.
Rifts on show at EU-Western Balkan summit in Albania
Differences apparent over EU reform as well as friction between Serbia and Kosovo.
EU’s influence declines in its neighbourhood as China and Russia gain ground
Chinese presence growing in Western Balkans, while Russia makes gains in Turkey, shows new index developed by wiiw, Bertelsmann Stiftung and ECIPE.
Kosovo Business Alliance warns diaspora investments locked in non-productive real estate
Business representatives say €9bn real estate investments are “dead capital” that generate neither jobs nor economic growth.
EBRD says geopolitics, tariffs and China competition weigh on Emerging Europe growth
Development bank downgrades 2025 forecasts for Central and Eastern Europe citing weak external demand, rising debt and the impact of US tariffs.
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Serbian nationalists hold torchlight vigils to mark Banjska attack
Serbian nationalists staged torchlight processions in Belgrade and Novi Sad to mark the second anniversary of a deadly armed clash in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo.
US suspends strategic dialogue with Kosovo amid political deadlock
Washington singles out Kosovo's caretaker PM, leftwing nationalist Albin Kurti, who has a strained relationship with the Trump administration.
Kosovo announces €1bn military budget and “Made in Kosovo” drones
Acting PM Albin Kurti outlines an ambitious security and defence agenda, but formation of Kosovo's next government remains on hold.
Kosovo’s flawed electricity market liberalisation leaves businesses in the dark
Companies face disconnections, uncertainty and higher costs, Kushtrim Ahmeti, executive director of the Chamber of Trade and Industry of Kosovo, tells bne IntelliNews.