Enlargement
Tens of thousands rally in Athens to protest against Macedonia name deal
Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters outside parliament on Sunday (20 January) as tens of thousands of Greeks rallied in Athens to protest ahead of a parliamentary vote to ratify a name deal with Macedonia due this week.
Tsipras kills three birds with one stone with North Macedonia deal
With the North Macedonia name change deal recently reached between Athens and Skopje, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has achieved more than improving his international image, by putting pressure on his domestic opponents, writes Nikolaos Koutsimpogiorgos.
Putin calls for ‘stable Balkans’ during Serbia visit
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (17 January) called for stability in the Balkans during a pageantry-filled visit to Serbia, a key Moscow ally.
Putin to receive a rock star welcome in Belgrade
With T-shirts, mugs and murals bearing his face, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to receive a rock star welcome on Thursday (17 January) when he lands in Serbia, Moscow's key ally on the edge of Europe.
Tsipras wins confidence vote, eyes Prespa agreement ratification
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday (16 January) survived a confidence vote after a row over a landmark name deal with Macedonia sunk his four-year coalition.
RSF slams jail sentence for Montenegro reporter on drug charges
An award-winning investigative reporter was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison in Montenegro on drug trafficking charges on Tuesday (15 January), in a ruling slammed by media watchdog RSF as a "disturbing set-back" for press freedom.
Tsipras goes against all in Greek parliament on North Macedonia name deal
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is likely to survive a confidence vote on Wednesday (16 January). But his party Syriza is alone defending the historic name change deal reached between Athens and Skopje.
Street rallies for and against government expected in Serbia this week
Serbian citizens are set to rally on the streets almost daily in the coming week, both those unhappy with the state of affairs in the Balkan country and those who want to show support for visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Greece and Russia exchange furious statements over Macedonia
The Russian foreign ministry published on Tuesday (14 January) a statement voicing concern about “instability” in Greece following the ratification of the recent change of the constitution in Macedonia. Greece retorted with a warning to Russia not to interfere in its internal affairs.
‘North Macedonia’ deal shakes Greek government, Tsipras calls vote of confidence
Skopje's ratification of the so-called name-change deal has triggered a government crisis in Greece, when the leader of the conservative junior coalition partner, Independent Greeks, stepped down on Sunday (13 January).
The Brief – Don’t blacklist journalists
“Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug”, the Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler sang in 1991, a perfect illustration of the everyday life of politicians but also journalists. Here is a story about journalists and a politician, which has been...
EPP’s Weber comes out on Macedonia name change deal
Manfred Weber, the Spitzenkandidat of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), ended months of silence on the ongoing efforts to resolve the Greece-Macedonia name row with a couple of pithy comments on Tuesday (9 January) that appear to support the deal.
Pressure builds in Macedonia ahead of name change votes in Parliament
Macedonian lawmakers gather from Wednesday (9 January) to vote on changing their country's name to settle a decades-long dispute with Greece and open the way to NATO and EU membership.
Macedonia’s Zaev sees ‘existential dangers’ outside of Euro-Atlantic institutions
The name-change deal reached between Athens and Skopje does not turn against any other country, including Russia, and its only objective is to establish peace and stability, the prime minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Zoran Zaev, said on Friday (4 January).
EU warns Serbia and Kosovo over flare up in tensions
EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini on Tuesday (18 December) issued a stern warning to Serbia and Kosovo to put aside recent bickering amid a major flare-up in tensions between Belgrade and Pristina.
Thousands protest against Serbian President Vucic
Thousands of demonstrators defied heavy snow Saturday (15 December) in Belgrade to protest what they say is a crackdown by the government of President Aleksandar Vučić on opposition parties and the media.
Greek business chief urges political parties to align to save the country
Greece’s pursuit of "sustainable growth" cannot be achieved by one political leader, so all democratic political forces should set aside their ideological differences and form an alliance, Konstantinos Michalos, President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Kosovo asserts independence with vote to build an army
Kosovo lawmakers vote Friday (14 December) on whether to give the small Balkan country its own army, a US-backed symbolic show of independence that has inflamed tensions with former wartime foe Serbia.
EU’s Balkan enlargement policy must now be guided by geopolitics
While the EU has played for time, delaying the EU enlargement process largely because of its own problems, the geopolitical context has changed, writes Vladimir Krulj.
Bulgarian deputy PM raises obstacles for Macedonia’s EU, NATO accession
Bulgarian deputy Prime Minister Krassimir Karakachanov stated on Saturday (8 December) that he would not let Macedonia join the EU and NATO, reacting to recent statements by the Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev about the Macedonian language that have also infuriated Athens.
Mitsotakis calls on Greek parties to reject Macedonia name change deal
The leader of the main Greek opposition party, New Democracy (EPP), called on Wednesday (5 December) on Greek political parties to block the name change deal recently reached between Athens and Skopje after almost thirty years of dispute.
Kosovo says to maintain its tariffs on Serbia despite EU pressure
Kosovo will keep its 100% tariffs on Serbian goods until Belgrade recognizes Pristina, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said on Monday (4 December), defying calls by the European Union and United States for the tariffs to be abolished.
Macedonia moves closer towards name change
Macedonia's lawmakers moved closer on Sunday (2 December) to rename the country and remove a key hurdle on the road to breaking a decades-long stalemate with Greece.