About: Serbia
Serbia’s civil sector, NGOs demand more rights
NGOs in Serbia have adopted a joint document aimed at preserving the civil society and its freedoms in the EU candidate country, after seeing a growing number of physical assaults on their activists and verbal abuse in pro-government media. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Serbia in the EU in 2025 – mission (im)possible
Serbia's accession to the EU in 2025 seems unrealistic, given its slow pace of progress, though not entirely impossible, civil society representatives have said but warned that neither Belgrade nor Brussels were trying very hard. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Western Balkans to abolish roaming charges by 2021
Western Balkans countries agreed on Thursday (4 April) to lower and eventually abolish roaming charges, in a rare act of neighbourly goodwill in region riven with political feuds.
Victor Ponta: The ruling PSD in Romania is becoming like Fidesz
In a wide-ranging interview, the former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has founded a new centre-left force, Pro-Romania, doesn’t mince his words criticising his former party, the ruling PSD. The Party of European Socialists (PES) should, if necessary, show PSD the red card, he says.
Serbs keep protesting, opposition and authorities announce mass rallies
Serbian citizens have been protesting for four months, asking the government to ensure media freedom, crack down on corruption and tackle issues like unemployment, poverty, and the young generation's brain-drain. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Western Balkans pump subsidies worth €1.2 billion into coal
Western Balkan countries, which have set their sights on EU membership, are still propping up coal power with large public subsidies worth more than €1.2 billion, a new report revealed on Monday (25 March). The subsidies are not in line with EU regulations or decarbonisation efforts.
Serbia marks 20 years since NATO bombing campaign
Serbia on Sunday (24 March) marked 20 years since the NATO air strikes that forced Belgrade to withdraw its troops from Kosovo, ending a conflict that claimed more than 13,000 lives.
The burden of coal at the doorstep of the Energy Union
At a time when the EU strives to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, coal still represents more than half of electricity across much of the Western Balkans and other EU neighbouring countries, writes Janez Kopač. Making things worse, coal plants are intensively supported by Chinese and US capital, without active opposition of the EU, he says.
Pressure builds in Belgrade, EU calls for dialogue with civil society
Thousands of anti-government protesters staged a rally outside President Aleksandar Vučić’s residence on Sunday (17 March) to press their demands for greater media freedom and free and fair elections, a day after they briefly broke into the state television building.
Serbia and Eurasian Union remove last obstacle to free trade deal
Serbia and the members of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have resolved controversial issues related to brandy and cheese quotas, paving the way for signing a comprehensive free trade agreement.
Political alternative in Montenegro: few pros, many cons
Montenegro is facing Sophie's Choice - sacrificing its statehood or abandoning corrupt authorities, writes Vlado Vurušić, a journalist with EURACTIV.hr, in an analytical report from the country's capital Podgorica.
Serbian leader hints that Kosovo recognition possible
President Aleksandar Vučić hinted Monday (4 March) that Serbia may be willing to recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state, but would require something in return from its former province as part of a broader compromise deal.
Thousands in Montenegro rally against President Djukanovic
Thousands protested in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica on Saturday (2 February), the fourth such rally in as many weeks, demanding that President Milo Djukanović and his government resign over alleged corruption, cronyism and abuse of office.
Serbia ramps up military capabilities, but affirms it sticks to neutrality
Continuing recent efforts to improve its armed forces, Serbia took over four more MiG-29 aircraft from Belarus. The country wants to join the European Union but not NATO, and is seeking good ties with both Moscow and Washington. EURACTIV.rs reports.
The Brief – Mapping out the Balkans?
Ever since the UN Security Council placed Kosovo under international administration, paving the way for its independence in 2008, some seasoned Western reporters roaming the Balkans were heard commenting: “This is not the end. It will have to end up with a land swap (between Kosovo and Serbia)”.
Serbia foreign minister: We want border demarcation with Kosovo
Serbia's official position in the dialogue with Kosovo is to go for a border demarcation along ethnic lines between Belgrade and its former province, Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić has said without elaborating further. Dačić's statement was met with protests in both Belgrade and Priština.
Serbia snags piece of Turkish Stream pipeline pie
Serbia has been given the go-ahead to build a section of the Turkish Stream pipeline from the Bulgarian to the Hungarian border, so long as not only Russian gas is transmitted through the pipeline. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
European elections also important for countries striving to join EU
Although Serbian citizens will not vote in the European Parliament election in May, its outcome is certainly of interest to them because it will affect the future course and pace of the EU candidate country's negotiations with Brussels.
Kosovo President and PM at odds over Serbia border changes
Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj on Wednesday (6 February) resumed their public dispute over possible border changes to end one of Europe's most volatile territorial disputes.
Rise in attacks on journalists in Serbia prompts concerns for press freedom
Over the past year, 102 cases of pressure and attacks on journalists and other media professionals have been documented in Serbia. What is particularly worrisome is the upward trend in the number of such cases in the EU candidate country.
EU must bring Serbia and Kosovo back to the table
Despite the remarkably promising Western Balkans Strategy presented by the Commission almost a year ago, 2018 could be described as “one step forward, two steps back” with regards to the European aspirations of the Western Balkans, write Djordje Bojović and Nikola Burazer.
Kosovo to keep tariffs until Serbia grants recognition, insists PM
Kosovo's prime minister refuses to lift tariffs on imports from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, despite external and internal pressure to back down. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Russian Orthodoxy, a security issue in Ukraine
The politico-spiritual move away from Russian Orthodoxy, presented by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as a major national security issue, has deeply angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has political ambitions in the region, writes Willy Fautré.