About: Balkans
Austrian president warns against ‘small-state mentality’
With the informal meeting of the defense minister and then the foreign minister in the last week of August, the Austrian Presidency enters crunch mode. EURACTIV Germany reports from Vienna.
Erdogan mobilises diaspora, ‘friends’ in Balkans
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan holds a rally in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo to drum up support among the Turkish diaspora. Three days after the EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Balkans confirm their strategic position.
Beyond coal, nationalism and EU accession: Squaring the circle for Kosovo
Joining the EU means meeting all of its rules and criteria, including energy legislation. But bloc-hopeful Kosovo, just like its other Balkan neighbours, is struggling to make any headway there, writes Philippe Charlez.
Ending state capture in the Balkans – bridging the gap between EU words and deeds
The EU is still failing to address the issue of state capture in the Balkans and, by choosing stability over democracy in the region, has been undermining its own credibility and values. But now it must take strong actions in view of the 2025 admission perspective, writes Shpend Ahmeti.
The Brief – EU keeps squaring the vicious Balkan circle
Looking at 14 years of the EU's attempts to determine once and for all what to do with the Balkans (since the first EU-Balkan Summit in Thessaloniki in 2003), one cannot help wondering whether wholehearted commitment on both sides might have been lacking all along.
How the Cold War was replaced with fake news
The Cold War has faded into history but it was replaced by a media war which rages above all on the internet. Fake news play a major role now, argues Herbert Vytiska from EURACTIV Germany.
Balkan citizens doubt they will ever join EU
Citizens of the Balkan region are highly sceptical that their countries will be joining the EU anytime soon, despite shows of support for European integration, while a quarter do not believe their country will ever join the EU, the Balkan Barometer 2017 survey has shown.
Trans-Europe Express: Pre-war Europe blues
The cynicism of was undeniable. Just as the Commission announced it was taking the second step in an infringement procedure against Poland over the reform of its justice system, legal experts associated with the PiS government announced that the country could still demand reparations from Germany for its occupation during World War Two.
Balkan trade war brews over huge Croatian import fee rise
The Balkans have become embroiled in a trade war over agricultural health checks after Croatia raised import fees on some farm products by around 220%, triggering countermeasures by Serbia and threats from others.
Rasmussen: Europe has to invest more to be secure
The world has changed and there is a long list of things that Europe should do to protect itself. First, we have to increase defence spending, Anders Fogh Rasmussen told EURACTIV Czech Republic.
On 11 June, Kosovo must elect a European future
Kosovo’s up-coming election is a chance for the country to confirm itself as a “bright spot” in the Balkans and choose the path towards European integration, writes Avdullah Hoti.
Croatia at a crossroads
Croatia’s geostrategic position in the Balkans means the rest of Europe should pay attention to this weekend’s elections, writes Tomislav Karamarko.
Russia targets Slovakia as the weakest link in V4
Russia believes Slovakia is the only Visegrad country that may leave NATO, which is why its propaganda apparatus is targeting it. EURACTIV Slovakia partner Dennik N reports on Moscow’s information war in the region.
Croatia holds snap election but fears more deadlock
Croatia votes on Sunday (September 11) in an early election that seems likely to prolong political uncertainty in the EU's newest member, at a time of strained ties between Balkan neighbours.
EU willing to pay ‘almost any cost’ to stop refugees
Amnesty International has accused the EU of indirectly supporting attacks on refugees by Libyan security forces because of the bloc's cooperation with the country's authorities. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Hungary says this is not a refugee crisis, but mass exodus
The measures to address the migration crisis introduced by individual member states or groups of states have been more effective than the Commission’s action, a Hungarian high official said yesterday (13 June).
Berlin steps up efforts to expand its ‘safe list’
Critics have denounced Germany's intention to put Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia on a list of safe countries of origin in an attempt to reduce the number of asylum seekers coming from those countries. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Julian Popov: The future of gas in Europe is uncertain
Gas demand in Europe will most likely continue to decline. This is the reason why the competition for additional gas import infrastructure is so fierce and politicised - there is simply no need for more, Julian Popov told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.
Kosovo at the crossroads
Kosovo has made great progress since gaining independence in 2008, but it still has a long way to go to secure a European future and avoid being consumed by its past, writes Hashim Thaçi.
Will the European Parliament defend Kosovo’s democracy?
Kosovo has illegally arrested one third of the parliamentary opposition. On Thursday (21 January) the European Parliament will discuss a draft resolution on Kosovo, which does not even mention the arrests, writes Andrea Lorenzo Capussela.
The Balkanisation of Europe
As foreign policy experts list their problems for 2016, the Balkans never gets a mention. That’s strange, as the region is the microcosm of all the differing conflicts in Europe, and even further afield, Denis MacShane writes.
EU warms to Turkey, Serbia membership bids
The European Union revived Turkey's membership bid on Monday (14 Dcember) and opened accession talks with Serbia, showing how a migration crisis and Russia's presence in the Balkans has prompted the EU to rethink plans to stop expanding.
Now we can phone Kosovo, but is that enough?
It is time for Serbia to let go of Kosovo and allow the Balkans to move into the 21st century, writes Denis MacShane.