Enlargement
EU to provide vaccines for Western Balkan frontline healthcare workers
The EU will provide 651,000 COVID-19 jabs from its joint procurement for frontline healthcare workers in the six partner countries in the Western Balkans, the European Commission announced on Tuesday (20 April). The announcement comes after China and Russia distributed...
Populism and cozy ties with Russia and China: Vucic takes Serbia further away from EU
European tolerance has greatly contributed to Serbian President Alexander Vučić and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party's establishing an authoritarian system that has nothing to do with the rule of law, writes Svetla Miteva.
Montenegro tries to cool EU row over $1 billion China road
Montenegro's finance minister on Friday (16 April) tried to ease concern over a near $1 billion Chinese-backed road project, insisting the country could afford to repay the debt and did not need EU help.
Michel silent over unofficial document mulling border changes in Western Balkans
A phantom document proposing controversial border changes across the Western Balkans caused a political storm in the region and in Brussels this week. While most EU officials had little knowledge of the elusive document, the office of European Council President Charles Michel could not deny receiving it. EURACTIV took a closer look
Slovenia suspected of seeking ‘peaceful dissolution’ of Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Slovenian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been summoned to the country's foreign ministry to explain recent rumours about alleged plans by Ljubljana for the dissolution of the country hosting her and a redrawing of borders across the Western Balkans.
Kosovo parliament elects Vjosa Osmani as new national president
Kosovo's parliament has appointed a 38-year-old US-educated female law professor and candidate of the ruling Vetevendosje party as the country's new president, following an election in February.
Great Serbian vaccinationism
The decision of the Serbian authorities to open the door to their neighbours for vaccination has nothing to do with reviving warm memories of the former Yugoslavia, writes Orhan Dragaš.
North Macedonia minister: Tensions should ‘naturally decline’ after Bulgarian election
Tensions between North Macedonia and its southern neighbour Bulgaria, which is blocking Skopje's EU membership bid, should "naturally decline" after the 4 April election in Bulgaria and pave the way for an agreement, North Macedonia's Justice Minister Bojan Marichikj told EURACTIV.
Foreign vaccine-seekers flock to Serbia for COVID-19 shots
Elma jumped in her car with her mother and brother as soon as she heard that Serbia was offering free COVID-19 vaccines to foreigners, and made the five-hour trip from her home in Bosnia to queue up for a shot.
MEPs pressure Bulgaria to lift North Macedonia accession veto
MEPs put pressure on Bulgaria on Thursday (25 March) to lift its veto on the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia but failed to pass an amendment criticizing the Bulgarian position.
Six member states urge EU to re-focus on Bosnia
Six southern and eastern EU countries are asking the bloc's foreign ministers to focus on Bosnia-Herzegovina and help the barely functioning Western Balkan country implement key reforms that should boost its dwindling EU membership bid and ease simmering tensions in the region.
The EU needs to take its seat at the Cyprus negotiation table
The long history of negotiations on the Cyprus question has been unforgiving to its actors, hence the infamous characterisation of it as the “graveyard of diplomats”, littered with tombstones. It need not be this way, writes Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides.
What are the new Kosovo government’s biggest priorities?
Kosovo's 2021 elections returned an unprecedented result and their aftermath could yet prove historic, writes Dren Doli who offers some advice to the new government.
Former Kosovo commander arrested in Belgium
A former commander of the disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) has been arrested in Belgium for alleged war crimes committed during the country's war with Serbia in the 1990s, an international court said Tuesday (16 March).
How to boost public support for the EU – the Montenegrin case
Despite fears that Montenegro's new ruling coalition, which ousted the previous pro-Western government last year, would lean towards the east and marginalise the EU, this has not happened. Djordje Radulovic explains what can be learned from this in order to curb anti-EU sentiments across the Western Balkans.
Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem
Kosovo said Sunday (14 March) it had officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem after becoming the first Muslim-majority territory to recognise the city as Israel's capital.
Serbia to start producing Chinese Sinopharm vaccine
Serbia will become the first European country to produce the Chinese Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine, the Balkan country's President Aleksandar Vučić said Thursday (11 March).
Bring Western Balkans back on the agenda, urge nine EU member states
Nine EU member states have called on the EU’s chief diplomat, Joseph Borrell, to have a strategic discussion on the Western Balkan countries and their prospects when EU foreign ministers meet in April, according to a letter made available to...
Montenegro appeals to EU, NATO for medical staff to help it fight COVID-19
Montenegro appealed to the European Union and NATO to send it medical workers to help exhausted health services battle a surge in the COVID-19 pandemic in the tiny Adriatic nation, its leading newspaper reported on Wednesday (10 March).
EU commissioner tells Bosnia to manage migration better
The European Union's migration commissioner Ylva Johansson urged Bosnia on Thursday (18 February) to manage migration properly and share the burden of its migrant crisis equally across the country if it is to stay on course for EU membership.
The EU should maintain the Energy Charter Treaty
There are fundamental good reasons to continue protecting the investments covered by the Energy Charter Treaty as private investment will be crucial for the vast infrastructure overhauls needed to shift towards renewable energy, writes Dr Frank Umbach.
Kosovo anti-establishment party set for landslide win
Kosovo's left-wing reformists were headed for a landslide victory in parliamentary elections, initial results showed Monday (14 February), handing them a strong mandate for change from voters fed up with the political establishment.