Southeast Europe

An equivalent of "God save the queen" would never be accepted in Erdogan's Turkey.

The report took aim at Croatia regarding its judiciary, stating that “despite important steps taken, the length of judicial proceedings remains a serious issue.” Eurobarometer surveys conducted in 2025 show that the perception of judicial independence in Croatia is below 30 per cent, one of the worst results in the entire EU. Several member states have undertaken criminal law reforms to strengthen the fight against corruption, and Croatia is preparing draft legislation to support more efficient investigations and prosecutions of corruption offences and to strengthen the competences of its specialised prosecution service. The lack of comprehensive lobbying rules is mentioned as an area for improvement in the fight against corruption. While the implementation of Croatia’s new law on lobbying is on track, the public is not directly informed about meetings between lobbyists and officials. On the other hand, Croatia has made “significant steps” to improve the implementation of the People’s Ombudsperson’s recommendations and to enhance access to information. With regard to first-instance public procurement review bodies, the level of perceived independence is lowest in Croatia (alongside Bulgaria and Hungary). In Croatia, business stakeholders identified the efficiency and quality of the justice system, as well as the quality and frequent changes in legislation, as the main challenges for investment.

Romania continues to pursue reforms, particularly in strengthening the judiciary and prosecution services, and has made investments in digital infrastructure and justice system resources, the 2025 report noted. However, key challenges remain. Constitutional Court rulings have had major implications, including the annulment of presidential elections and the closure of many corruption cases due to statute of limitations decisions. Media independence is under threat, with concerns about political financing of private media and lack of reform in public service media governance. Businesses and civil society face uncertainty due to inconsistent legislation and regulatory burdens. Public trust in judicial independence is still low, and issues persist around the autonomy of the prosecution and the transparency of judicial appointments. While Romania’s reform path is noteworthy, sustained political commitment and better implementation are essential to build public confidence and ensure long-term rule of law resilience, it said.

Slovenia fully implemented recommendations made in last year’s report in several areas, the EU Commission noted. These included the recommendation to finalise the legislative process to amend the rules on parliamentary inquiries with adequate safeguards for independence of judges and state prosecutors; the recommendation to finalise the measures to increase the remuneration of judges and state prosecutors, taking into account European standards on resources and remuneration for the justice system; and the recommendation to complete the adoption of the new anti-corruption strategy and action plan and begin implementation. Significant progress was made on taking further measures to ensure that the reform of judicial appointments contains adequate safeguards for judicial independence.

Turkey on Saturday arrested three more opposition mayors as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in what the main opposition CHP party called a "political operation". The arrests come after more than 120 city hall officials in the city of Izmir were arrested earlier this week and Istanbul's powerful opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was removed from his post in March.

On the same day, it emerged that a draft resolution based on a report by MEP Thomas Weitz includes strong language concerning regional geopolitics. The document directly addresses what it calls the "Serbian World" project, describing it as a campaign not just for economic dominance but for reshaping state borders in the Balkans. According to the resolution, this project extends its influence over Republika Srpska, Montenegro, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. Point 80 of the report voices concern that representatives from the North Macedonian government are participating in initiatives aligned with this vision, which it argues threatens sovereignty and regional stability.

Point 81 calls for the opening of Yugoslav-era secret police archives - specifically those of UDBA and KOS - stored in both North Macedonia and Serbia. The purpose, it says, is to help the region move beyond its totalitarian past and support stronger democratic institutions through transparency and accountability.

The resolution further notes that North Macedonia continues to be a target of foreign influence campaigns aimed at stoking anti-European sentiment and dividing society. These efforts, the report warns, often come through Serbian-language media that disseminate pro-Kremlin narratives across the region. It also recalls that North Macedonia expelled 13 Russian diplomats between 2018 and 2023 for espionage-related activity, a sign that covert networks are still active in the country.

China is also named in the draft report as a source of growing influence, reportedly using tactics such as media funding, strategic investments, and clauses in infrastructure loans that carry coercive conditions. The report warns that Chinese-funded content has appeared in Macedonian media without proper disclosure. It also points to 2023 analyses that revealed how Russian-linked entities have used Serbian media channels to distribute messages hostile to NATO and to claim the EU is forcing North Macedonia to compromise on its national identity.

The draft resolution concludes with broader concerns over hybrid threats and foreign interference across all Western Balkan EU candidate states. It cites strategic corruption, murky financial transactions, and pressure from both Russia and China as persistent dangers. In this context, it flags Hungary and Serbia as playing a role in advancing Beijing and Moscow’s geopolitical agendas, pointing to specific cases like a Hungarian loan to North Macedonia that reportedly originates from Chinese funding sources.

Associated Press: Western Balkans region faces severe drought and water restrictions during heat wave

Reports of extreme heat and water shortages

https://apnews.com/article/western-balkan-drought-heatwave-no-rainfall-2843b95842e75807a608e7eaa57a96f1
@balkanika

The mayor of Sithonia, Ioannis Mallinis, stated, “We acted quickly and avoided the worst.”

Some 140 firefighters, 14 firefighting aircraft, five helicopters, and local volunteers are taking part in the effort.

Apparently Vucic suspects Russia is behind the Serbian protests

"We will maintain order in the country, thanks for the attention of our Russian friends, but I want to tell them and tell everyone else that whatever they organize, however much they pay... it's over."
https://www.bta.bg/en/news/balkans/921107-president-vucic-thanks-russia-for-its-stance-against-protesters-in-serbia
@balkanika

The solution that worked for Europe is starting to work also in the Balkans. Further to the east, we get reminded what happens when nation states prevail.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/24022603

Police clashed with anti-government protesters in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, on Saturday night, as demonstrators demanded an early parliamentary election and an end to the rule of President Aleksandar Vucic.

Earlier protesters, led by students, issued an ultimatum, saying the government must call a snap election or face a civil disobedience campaign. The main demonstration then ended, but some protesters marched toward the pro-government rally outside parliament. Many were wearing goggles, masks and helmets.

Police detained several dozen protesters, while six police officers were reported injured in clashes, according to Dragan Vasiljevic, the director of police.

Vucic's refusal has only energized demonstrators, particularly university students, who have become a driving force behind the movement.

"The reluctance of Vucic makes it all the more important to be there now," said Tara, a student who only gave DW her first name. "We want to show the president that we want elections. The fight is not over, and the protests are not over yet."

"Realistically, we have to prolong the protest a little longer," added Kristina.

"But we're almost at the finish line," said Teodora. "Vucic is on his last legs."

In a now routine pre-protest crackdown, more than a dozen people have been arrested, including five on Friday who were remanded for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government, according to Serbia's Higher Court.

Mickoski noted that for the past two years, the European Parliament had not adopted a progress report on North Macedonia’s EU accession, “because the issue was not about the identity and language of North Macedonia, but about the North Macedonia language and identity, which is completely different from the current report, where North Macedonia identity and language appear three times.”

In the interview, he recalled sending young men to fight in Croatia in the war, and said he had “led his men in the cleansing campaign of Papuk, Western Slavonia, but never commanded the action”.

In 2009, together with four other people, he was sentenced to a year in jail for the robbery of Novi Sad businessman Tomislav Djordjevic in 1992

“Bokan does not meet the basic moral requirements to lead the Board of Directors of an institution of national importance. His public biography – as the founder of a paramilitary formation active in war conflicts, and a person who has been convicted of criminal offences on multiple occasions – is in sharp contradiction with the values our theatre represents,” a press release issued by the union said.

21 June 2025 – A major forest fire broke out early this morning in the area of Pisak, a coastal village situated between Omiš and Makarska on the Dalmatian coast.

The blaze is reported to have started in the forest above the Adriatic highway, which has since been closed to traffic in that section.

The fire has spread rapidly, fuelled by strong winds and dense pine woodland, and has moved dangerously close to residential areas in Pisak and Marušići and evacuations are underway as there are houses at risk.

[...]

There is growing concern among residents that the fire may have been deliberately set. “People have seen someone on a motorbike over the past few days, and there are suspicions that they are starting fires,” one local resident told reporters.

The Republika Srpska government says a deal with China’s ELINC is purely about protecting data, but a lack of transparency and limited means of oversight has critics worried about the potential for surveillance.

Concern is growing over a cyber-security software deal between the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina and China’s ELINC, owned by a conglomerate sanctioned by the United States over alleged ties to China’s ‘military-industrial complex’.

Bypassing regular public procurement procedures, the pro-Russian government of predominantly Serb-populated Republika Srpska signed the 29-million-euro, 10-year deal in June 2024, though it only became public thanks to media reports.

As Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire, sparking fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East, several Balkan countries have transported their citizens home by plane.

Hundreds of citizens of Balkan states have been urgently repatriated by their governments as fears grow of a further escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, with Israel and Iran continuing to bomb each other’s cities.

#Israel #IsraelIran #IranIsrael #Balkans

Activist Ljupcho Georgievski demanded constitutional guarantees for the rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia.

He insists that Bulgarians in North Macedonia should be included in the country's constitution, promising that the Bulgarian community will continue to fight, even if this path takes them to the European Court of Human Rights.

"Europe is ruled by human rights, but in the Republic of North Macedonia the rights of Bulgarians are negligible," Georgievski said. On June 12, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said in a document that it considers the verdict against Ljupcho Georgievski to be "completely unacceptable."

“I am here and imprisoned because I won the election three times. I am here because I have been the guardian of Istanbul. I am here because, for the first time in history, 15.5 million people participated in a primary and I received their support; I earned the favour of our people. I am here because I am a presidential candidate”

As Israel and Iran continued to trade missiles and airstrikes on Saturday, Croatian consul Ivica Sertić and his wife Katica were injured in the Iranian attack on Tel Aviv.

The news was confirmed Saturday by Foreign Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman. The couple was injured when their apartment building was hit. They are shaken but their injuries are minor. They spent the night in the emergency room but have since been discharged.

Personal comment: I'm glad that the injuries are minor and I hope they both recover fast.

Industrial farming in the EU is out of control and is destroying our environment

Someone might think in Europe things are not as bad as in the US, but higher population density means more toxicity per area. In the Balkans the numbers might be lower for now, but we all know control is also weaker.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/12/research-reveals-24000-megafarms-across-europe
@balkanika

Montenegro’s parliament on Thursday approved a request to send a non-combat military contingent in support of Ukraine as part of an EU mission.

Montenegro’s parliament on Thursday voted to send members of the armed forces to join the European Union’s Military Assistance Mission, EUMAM, in support of Ukraine – the first of its kind since the beginning of the war.

The decision was supported by 49 MPs in the 81-seat parliament. Most remaining lawmakers were absent or abstained.

Defense Minister Dragan Krapovic emphasized that Montenegrin troops would not be deployed to Ukraine itself but would instead hold non-combat roles within the EU mission framework.

Kosovo has agreed to host up to 50 immigrants deported from the US – one of the few countries to respond positively to a US request for its allies to take in deportees.

Kosovo on Wednesday offered to shelter up to 50 people deported from the US as President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal or unauthorised immigrants steps up.

“Individuals who are subject to this decision, during the time of their stay in Kosovo, will act in line with the legislation in force and enjoy rights designated according to the law,” the Kosovo government said.

Personal comment: I'm surprised that they didn't offer to take more.

Former Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Gabrijela Žalac has been sentenced to two years in prison for corruption, under the terms of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Žalac and three other defendants - who remain on trial - are accused of influence peddling, abuse of office, and manipulating public procurement. According to prosecutors, their actions caused losses of at least 300,000 euros to Croatia and over 1 million euros to the European Union.

"I have no comment..." said Žalac as she left the Zagreb County Court on Thursday.

Personal comment: I bet she won't even serve the full two years. She will be released after a short while for "good behavior" or something like that...

Congratulations, our community is growing. Even though it might be small, when compared to other regional communities, it is a remarkable achievement for a diverse geographical area like ours.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia General Tihomir Kundid officially presented the basic documents to reintroduce compulsory military service, which was abolished in 2008.

"An employed conscript undergoing basic military training is entitled to a compensation of 1 100 euros net per month, paid food and transportation costs, paid leave and all other applicable rights..." Minister Anušić said.

Conscientious objectors will have the option of three months of training in the civil protection system, or four months of work in local government. Fines for men who do not serve will range from €250 to €1320.