Maja Poznatov
UN officials concerned over Belgrade-Pristina talks
The chief of UNMIK, the UN mission in Kosovo, Zahir Tanin warned of rising tensions in Kosovo and weakening trust between Belgrade and Pristina during Tuesday’s UN Security Council session (16 May). EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Serbia unnerved by Albanian talk of union with Kosovo
A statement about a potential union between Albania and Kosovo, by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, has angered officials in Belgrade, who have asked Brussels to take a stand on the issue. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Serbia to appoint new PM by June
Serbian President-elect Aleksandar Vučić, who scored a convincing victory in the first round of the election on 2 April, will take his time appointing his successor as prime minister, a position he's held a firm grip on for three years. EURACTIV.rs reports.
Serbia-Croatia relations strained by the past
Relations between Belgrade and Zagreb are stuck. Frequently in crisis mode, their ties are beset by sharp rhetoric, especially during election periods, say Serbian and Croatian political analysts. Euractiv Serbia reports.
Serbia: 7000 asylum seekers estimated in the country
After the closing of the Balkan route about a year ago, by which migrants and refugees mainly from the Middle East had arrived in the EU, there are some 7,000 in Serbia at the moment. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
US imposes sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader
The US has introduced sanctions against Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, the Serb entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik has shrugged this off as futile vindictiveness by the outgoing US administration.
Western Balkans enlargement: 2016 in review
In 2017, Serbia expects to see its membership negotiations with the EU intensify, despite a waning of regional enthusiasm for the bloc, due to concerns over its preoccupation with internal crises, such as Brexit. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
EU-aspirant Serbia struggles to dismiss allegations of police corruption
A prominent Serbian NGO claims that the integrity of the country’s police has been weakened by politicisation and weak efforts in the fight against corruption. Interior ministry officials disagree and have highlighted upcoming regulatory improvements. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Commission: Serbia should acknowledge the remit of independent bodies
Serbia should improve its understanding of independent bodies, including the Ombudsman, while its parliament should be more active in overseeing the government, the European Commission said in its annual Progress Report for Serbia. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Serbia easily digests Commission’s ‘progress report’
The government in Belgrade is generally satisfied with the European Commission’s annual report on Serbia’s progress in European integration published on Wednesday (9 November), even though it might not agree with all of its conclusions. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Serbian flat taxpayers left in limbo for a second year
Some 250,000 entrepreneurs in Serbia are in limbo because authorities have not cleared their tax application for the second year in a row. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Serbia’s media privatisation leaves bitter aftertaste
The privatisation of media in Serbia has left the sector looking bleak. Many media providers have been shut down, more than 1,000 journalists and other media professionals have lost their jobs, and the survival of many of the privatised media is uncertain. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Analysts: Brexit will slow EU enlargement in the Western Balkans
The United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU will have hurt the accession of Serbia, and other Western Balkans countries, analysts warn. It will slow accession down, but not stop it completely. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
‘Good lawyers and bad judges’ in Serbia team up to free iconic defendants
‘Good lawyers and bad judges’ have freed the protagonists of a major cigarette trafficking affair, in a judicial case illustrating the myriad failings of Serbian law enforcement. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Journalists denounce ‘political’ dismissals at Serbian regional broadcaster
A protest rally was held in Novi Sad on 23 May over dismissals at the public Radio Television of Vojvodina, less than two weeks after the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, led by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, came to power in the province. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Tensions grow over Serbian accession talks
Croatia’s refusal to agree to the opening of Chapter 23 in Serbia’s EU accession negotiations has heightened tensions between the two countries, which, over the past six months, have grown significantly cooler. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Opening of chapters a historic step for Serbia
On 14 December, nearly two years after the launch of accession negotiations with the EU, Serbia opened the first two chapters, on financial control, and the normalization of relations with Kosovo. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Serbs question renewed US interest in Western Balkans
Visits by US Vice President Joseph Biden, and Secretary of State John Kerry, to the Western Balkans, just seven days apart, have been welcomed in the region as confirmation that Washington has not lost interest, after the major role it played in the 1990s.
Serbia confirms it will not recognise Kosovo
Serbia plans to implement all the agreements it has made with Kosovo, but does not intend to recognise Kosovo’s independence. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Tensions high between Bosnia and Serbia on massacre anniversary
Commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre have stirred old ghosts in the Balkans, and shown that reconciliation is still a delicate process. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Merkel reassures Serbia during Belgrade visit
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Belgrade on Wednesday (8 July) that Serbia had demonstrated its desire to reach a compromise in its dialogue with Pristina. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Belgrade welcomes Srebrenica resolution dismissal
Serba was relieved by the UN Security Council's dismissal of a resolution on genocide in Srebrenica on Wednesday (8) July. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Moscow testing Belgrade’s neutrality
During a visit to Belgrade on 15 May, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Serbia is determined to maintain close ties with Russia, and supports the building the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. EURACTIV Serbia reports.