Southeast Europe / News
Serbia to hold snap election on October 18 or 25, president says
President Aleksandar Vucic announces potential dates for vote that follows more than a year and a half of regular anti-government protests.
Croatia's central bank to tighten consumer lending limits from October
The Croatian National Bank warned the high level of household borrowing poses a risk to financial stability.
Naval drone carrying explosives destroyed near Romania’s Neptun Alpha platform
Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu directly linked the incident to the broader security threat posed by Russia's war against Ukraine, but did not explicitly state that Russia had launched the drone.
_Cropped_1787302987.jpg)
Nato chief Rutte backs Bulgaria amid possible Iran threat
Assurance follows a Financial Times report that Iranian forces had assessed the possibility of striking US military assets in Southeast Europe, including Bulgaria.
Croatia PM accuses opposition of trying to destabilise government over waste scandal
Illegal dumping of 30,000 tonnes of hazardous waste at an industrial site in central Croatia sparked protests and raised political tensions.
Romanian car factories to reopen after drought forced temporary nuclear power plant shutdown
Romania stopped operations at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant due to low Danube water levels.
Romania has over €2.5bn of RRF funding at risk as deadline approaches
Worst case scenario assumes the failure of at least two key reforms alongside delays in major investments.
Britain's drones are hitting Russian refineries leading to retaliation fears
A British-built drone flying into a refinery outside Moscow is a different kind of object from a British-built missile doing the same thing, and both London and the Kremlin know it.
Croatian president summons parliament over illegal toxic waste dump scandal
30,000 tonnes of hazardous waste were illegally dumped at an industrial site in Gospić, central Croatia, sparking protests and a government investigation.
Bulgaria rushes to boost counter-drone defences
Urgent need to strengthen drone detection after an unmanned aircraft entered Bulgarian airspace near the Romanian border before exploding near the town of General Toshevo.
Poland says Russia hired an assassin to kill an American in Warsaw, as sabotage and covert operations raise their head again
Poland says it stopped a Russian-directed plot to murder a US citizen in Warsaw - the first time, its prime minister says, that Moscow has tried to kill an American inside another Nato country.
_1786694289.jpg)
Wildfire sweeps into Croatian coastal town, forcing mass evacuation
Wildfire tears through Omiš, a Dalmatian tourist hotspot, forcing over 1,000 to flee as flames reach the Adriatic shoreline. At least 36 injured, seven critically, and nearly 1,000 hectares burned.
_1786589794.jpg)
Skopje water scare exposes deeper concerns over Rašče spring’s safety
Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, woke up on August 12 to an unusual rush for bottled water. Rumours had spread overnight that the capital’s tap water was contaminated.
After 27 years, KFOR begins shifting its role at Kosovo flashpoints
The move comes against the backdrop of the unresolved Kosovo-Serbia conflict, with tensions over northern Kosovo, the status of the Serb community and competing claims over sovereignty continuing to shape the region’s security environment.
MP eggs Kosovo's PM in parliament as political crisis worsens
Kosovo's political crisis has entered a new, increasingly bizarre chapter.
Businessman warns Albania faces arbitration over stalled Vlora airport concession
Behgjet Pacolli said his company Mabco Constructions could pursue international arbitration against Albania after the government launched procedures to terminate the concession contract for Vlora International Airport.
Moldova warns investors against privatisation deals in separatist Transnistria
Moldova does not recognise the legitimacy of privatisations by the separatist authorities in Transnistria, and potential buyers risk losing their entire investment, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Valeriu Chiveri warned.
Serbia races to secure fuel supplies as historic Danube drought threatens imports and agriculture
Serbia is facing growing pressure on its energy and agricultural sectors as record-low water levels on the Danube disrupt fuel imports and deepen concerns over the impact of a prolonged drought.
Ukraine faces $3bn grain export loss as Russia's blockade empties Odesa of ships
Ukraine's alternative grain export routes will not reach the capacity needed to compensate for Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports until the end of August at the earliest, and even then will cover only half the volume normally handled through...
S&P warns of fiscal pressures ahead of Bosnia's autumn elections
Rating agency says pre-election spending will would push Bosnia’s public deficit above 3% of GDP this year.