Southeast Europe / Features
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Protesters demand a better Albania on 41st day of 'Flamingo Revolution'
The prime minister “has sold our country” one protester tells IntelliNews, as protest movement grows far beyond its environmental origins.
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North Macedonia’s rare pink ruby gets protected status in push for global recognition
IntelliNews talks to the gemstone enthusiast who spent decades putting the Macedonian ruby on the map.
MEPs and environmentalists warn Albania’s Kushner-linked resort sets dangerous precedent
A luxury tourism development linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law sparked the ‘Flamingo revolution’. Opponents fear it will become a precedent for large-scale construction in protected coastal areas.
Can geothermal power Central Europe’s energy transition?
The appeal of geothermal power is strong in a region where the 2022 gas crisis exposed the strategic vulnerability created by dependence on imported fossil fuels.
EU mulling “membership-lite” financial benefits for candidate countries to keep enlargement on track
The European Commission is preparing plans to grant European Union candidate countries some financial benefits while they wait for full membership as the process becomes bogged down in internal wrangling.
Global growth to stabilise in 3Q26 as Iran ceasefire eases energy shock - Erste Bank
A framework agreement between Washington and Tehran has already pulled oil prices lower, but Erste Group's quarterly outlook warns the inflationary scar tissue from the conflict will outlast the crisis itself across the world.
Ahead of Nato summit with Trump, Ankara splashes paint on VIP route homes, detains hundreds
Security forces boost detention numbers by holding 44 bird watchers who crossed paths with a mining protest.
Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor funded by Russian Abramovich, key to Kremlin's sanctions-evasion network
Moldovan fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor has become one of the Kremlin's most important unofficial operatives in Moldova’s domestic politics. He is funded by some of Russia’s richest oligarchs, close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
TIIF 2026: Albania looks to Central Asia and Middle Corridor links to Asia
When Albanian President Bajram Begaj addressed the Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF), he was making the case for a relationship that, by his own government's admission, has barely existed for the past three decades.
Moldova bets on reform, energy and EU membership to attract investors
As Brussels accelerates Moldova's accession path, officials and business leaders argue that one of Europe's poorest countries is becoming one of its most ambitious reform stories
North Macedonia risks losing investment edge as EU path stalls and competition intensifies
Deeper integration with the EU Single Market is essential if North Macedonia is to move beyond its traditional role as a low-cost manufacturing hub.
Explosion of Ukrainian naval drone in Romania’s Constanța port triggers fresh tensions
Russian strikes close to Romanian territory and Ukrainian counter-operations highlight the growing complexity of security challenges facing Romania as the war increasingly affects the wider Black Sea region.
Bulgaria the latest addition to the EU’s Excessive Deficit Club
Bulgaria has barely had time to celebrate joining the eurozone monetary union at the start of this year before the European Commission is set to turn around and throw it into the rapidly growing financial delinquents club.
The EU's enlargement dilemma
Europe debates new shape of enlargement as Ukraine and Western Balkan candidates push EU to rethink membership.
Eastern EU faces mounting demographic strain as populations shrink and age, Eurostat says
While the EU’s total population rose slightly, many eastern member states continued to lose population over the longer term through emigration, low fertility and high mortality rates.
Western Balkans face rising trade barriers despite deeper EU integration, Bruegel says
Businesses operating in the Western Balkans say the practical costs of accessing EU markets remain high.
Albania weathers Middle East shock as hydropower shields economy from energy crisis
Central bank expects only "mild and transitory" impact from Middle East conflict on Albania's economy.
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Kosovo’s latest election cycle deepens fears over instability and drift away from EU
Third snap election since 2025 extends cycle of instability that has paralysed institutions, delayed reforms and raised concerns in Brussels over the Western Balkan country's European future.
Bosnia steel shutdown hits railways, port and regional supply chains
The suspension of steel production at Bosnia’s flagship plant in Zenica is sending shockwaves across the country’s industrial base and into neighbouring Croatia.
North Macedonia’s antimony project rekindles mining debate
Planned antimony mining project in the Kriva Palanka region becomes new flashpoint.