Balkan Press Review

Headlines: "The European Union must not forget the Balkans"

The President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, warns of the risk of a mass exodus of Balkan citizens if the EU does not set a deadline for the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the EU. (Illustrative image) AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

Text by: Courrier des Balkans Follow | Florentin Cassonnet

3 min

A press review in collaboration with the Courrier des Balkans.

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The European Union must set a deadline for the integration of the countries of the Western Balkans, otherwise the citizens of the region will massively take the road of exodus, warns the President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski, passing through Paris. The EU has certainly had a stronger presence in the Balkans since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. "I hope, however, that the same attention will be paid to the region when the war ends. Because the attractiveness of the European model is declining among the citizens of the Balkans.

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In Moldova, "society is waiting", but judges are blocking justice reform. Slowed down by the multiple crises due to the war in Ukraine, the pro-European government in Chișinău is running after time, before the 2024 presidential election when Maia Sandu will put her mandate at stake, to advance this very complex reform, essential to Moldova's fragile democracy. The opening of EU accession negotiations in October depends on this. But within the system, the blockages of the old oligarchic regime persist.

Offensive against civil society in the Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina

It is an outburst of homophobic attacks and hate crimes in Banja Luka, and the Republika Srpska government is blowing on the embers. The police do not intervene and Milorad Dodik draws a law banning members of the LGBTQI+ community from schools. An act that is part of a broader authoritarian drift: a week earlier, another bill copied on the Russian model aims to regulate the activity of NGOs "foreign agents".

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, ambassadors are appointed by the three presidents, according to the interests of the ethno-nationalist parties in power. They do not represent the country, but their ethnic group. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not reformed since the Dayton Agreement was implemented in 1995. No wonder, then, that Bosnian diplomacy lacks direction.

Kosovo and Serbia towards normalization of relations

Does the agreement on "normalization of relations" between Kosovo and Serbia mark a turning point? What is its legal status? Why didn't Serbia sign it? Who, Belgrade or Pristina, has won the most in the case? For Enver Hasani and Srđan Majstorović, the agreement is "clear, crisp and precise" and commits both parties. Cross-interview.

China continues to win public contracts in the Balkans. On 29th March Montenegro signed a €53 million contract with Shandong International Economic & Technical Cooperation Group for the construction of a 16 km motorway between Budva and Tivat. This Chinese company is linked to several controversial projects in the Balkans. According to the US think tank Center for Global Development, Montenegro is one of the eight countries most at risk because of its debt to China.

In North Macedonia, the medicinal cannabis industry attracts organized crime. Since its legalization in 2015, several cases have reported the laxity of the authorities in granting and controlling licenses, which has allowed criminal groups to insert themselves into this lucrative sector promoted by the former government of Zoran Zaev.

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  • Press review
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Moldova
  • Kosovo
  • Serbia
  • North Macedonia