balkaninsight

Bosnian Court Convicts Three of Wartime Abuses of Civilian Prisoners The state court handed down 41 years of prison time to three defendants for committing war crimes against detained civilians in Bosanski Novi in 1992.

Greek Deputy Minister Quits Over Allegations About Daughter's University Admission Deputy Minister resigns over claims - which he denies - that his daughter joined a sports team to secure her admission to university, but without actually playing.

North Macedonia Opposition Accuses Govt Over Subsidiary of Failed Serbian Bank Opposition accuses central bank and government of trying to silence it as political accusations fly over the financial status of the North Macedonia-based subsidiary of Serbia's recently-failed Alta Banka.

Turkey 'Hiding Weak Climate Record' Behind Hosting of COP31 Environmental activist Koray Dogan Urbarli tells BIRN that Turkey's hosting of the UN climate change summit contrasts with its continued dependence on coal – and lack of climate adaptation policies.

Why Poland Has Spent a Decade Fighting Over Its Constitutional Tribunal Most European countries have comparable institutions, and disputes over appointments are hardly unusual. But the length and intensity of Poland's struggle, complete with rival claims to judicial authority, street protests and presidential interventions, stands out.

From Behind Bars, Tirana Mayor Turns on Albania's PM Rama Against a backdrop of anti-government protests, experts suspect Tirana mayor Erion Veliaj is seeking to portray himself as a 'political prisoner' as he awaits trial on corruption charges.

Serbian Ex-Minister Arrested for Suspected Abuse of Office Former Economy Minister Rade Basta is suspected of abusing his office while running a Belgrade power utility company by approving unjustified donations to various sports associations.

Croatian MP Seeks to Ban Anti-Abortion Prayers Near Hospitals MP advocates 100-metre exclusion zones around hospital entrances, arguing that prayer gatherings put pressure on women when they are at their most vulnerable.

Bosnian Police Seize 150kg of Drugs, Targeting Organised Crime Police arrest 15 suspects and seize around 150 kilogrammes of drugs as part of months-long investigation into two suspected organised crime groups.

Croatian Waste Scandal Turns Environment into Political Battleground A growing scandal over illegally dumped hazardous waste in Croatia threatens to inflict serious damage on the ruling HDZ party after a decade in power.

North Macedonia 'Losing Ground' on EU Accession as Neighbours Advance: Analyst Political analyst Petar Arsovski says the country risks falling further behind its neighbours as its EU accession remains stalled – and overcoming the impasse with Bulgaria will require both courage and a more active role by Brussels.

Politics and Pay: Albanian Govt Locks Horns with Judges, Prosecutors A row over the salaries of judges and prosecutors in Albania has ramifications for the independence of the judiciary, experts say.

Serbia Prosecution Accused of Mishandling Cases of Anti-Govt Protesters Report says it suspects Belgrade Prosecution 'committed criminal offences' in its handling of cases concerning anti-government protesters and the authorities' alleged use of a 'sound cannon' at a demonstration.

UN Court Rejects Bosnian Serb War Criminal's Early Release Plea Again The court said former Bosnian Serb interior minister Mico Stanisic, who is serving 22 years in prison for war crimes, has failed to "sufficiently demonstrate rehabilitation".

Bulgaria Declares Mourning Over Deadly Motorway Pile-Up Day of mourning declared after vehicle crash on Trakia motorway leaves at least 12 dead and 50 injured.

Turkey Bans Media Reporting on Deadly Factory Blast in Izmir Authorities ban media from reporting deadly factory blast in Izmir province that has killed 17 workers, prompting concerns over public's right to access information.

'Obligations Are Equal, Rights Rarely Are': The Citizens Bosnia Still Treats as 'Others' Seventeen years after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Bosnia's constitution unlawfully discriminates against Roma, Jews and 15 other minorities, they remain barred from the country's highest political offices.

Kosovo's PDK Urged to Embrace Change After Ex-Leaders' Hague Convictions With Hashim Thaci and its other former leaders behind bars in The Hague, analysts say it's time for the once-powerful Democratic Party of Kosovo to face the future and decide what it stands for.

Albanian Talk Show Hosts Slam TV Regulator's 'Orwellian' Fines Sanctions imposed on several TV talk shows over language used by guests are raising concerns about restrictions about the right to freely debate the ongoing anti-government protests in Albania.

EU Offers Black Sea Countries Support to Counter Security Threats European Commission President pledges 60 million euros to Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey to monitor – and respond to – the growing spillover from Russia's war on Ukraine.

Greece Retrieves 21 Dead Migrants off Crete Island Coast guard says 21 migrants lost their lives in the sea area south of the island of Crete while attempting to reach Greece.

Montenegro Registers 14 Citizens Fighting in Foreign Wars Since 2022 Montenegro's anti-terrorism agency says most citizens travelling to foreign battlefields in recent years were recruited through the internet.

Monday Briefing from the Balkans: November 9, 2026 Catch up on the weekend's most important developments with Balkan Insight's digest of news from countries across the region.

Polish Mass Shooter Dies of Injuries; Motive Remains Unclear Investigators say they have found no evidence so far of political or extremist activity by the 24-year-old who killed six people in Krakow on Saturday and is also believed to have murdered his immediate family.

Kosovo Fortress Faces Uncertain Future After Flawed UNESCO Restoration A decade after controversial renovations that experts say compromised its archaeological integrity, the Novoberde/Novo Brdo Fortress remains closed. Concerns about collapsing walls remain, as do unresolved questions about conservation restoration plans.

Bye-Bye Serbia's SPS, the Socialists Who Weren't The Socialist Party of Serbia is out of parliament for the first time and unlikely to survive. Can the country now leave behind the system created by the party that dominated the 1990s under Slobodan Milosevic?

'We Could Have Waited': Caesareans the Norm for Pregnant Women in Greece Doctors in a rush and the marginalisation of midwives mean more and more women in Greece are giving birth via C-section, often unnecessarily.

ARTE Europe Weekly: How Europe's Youth are Rejecting 'Politics-as-Usual' From Portugal to Poland, young Europeans are taking to the streets with hopes for a better future - and disdain for contemporary political orthodoxies.

Week in Review: Between Hope and Apathy Our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week charts how some voters – from the US to Serbia – are sparking seismic political shifts, while others, such as those in Bulgaria, seem to be turning away from politics.

With Change of Power, Serbia Can Reinvigorate EU Accession Bid Dragana Djurica, head of the European Movement in Serbia, says the European Commission's latest report on Serbia's 'backsliding' on the path to EU membership can become a 'roadmap for reform' for the country's next government.