Latest Analysis from the Balkans
Foreign Soaps Push Out Kosovo Productions
Kosovo’s domestic soaps are falling victim to cheap imports from Turkey and Latin America.
Football Wins Amid Political Row over Kosovo Status
Kosovo’s strategy of entering European football through FIFA-sanctioned friendly matches could create opportunities for talented players and point the way towards solving broader issues of its representation in international sport.
Klecka Outcome Embitters Both Serbs and Albanians
Both communities in Kosovo blame politics for the trial of Fatmir Limaj - though from diametrically opposing points of view.
Serbia’s New Govt Faces Deficit Challenge
Promises of hundreds of new jobs made during the election campaign will soon be forgotten as reducing the deficit becomes a certain priority for the new team.
Symbols Row Holds Montenegrin Reforms Hostage
Six years after the referendum on independence, Montenegro has consolidated itself as a state, but dispute over symbols still dominates politics, overshadowing more important priorities.
Social Networks Mobilise Army of ‘White’ Voters
Jump in the number of voters registering protest by casting blank or defaced ballots has Serbia’s political class worried.
Belgrade Weighs Up Hopes of City’s New Bosses
Although voters gave the ruling Democrats a convincing mandate to continue running the capital, few expect their everyday lives to get much better as a result.
New Party Freshens up Montenegro’s Old Politics
Positive Montenegro’s electoral hopes rest on its ability to attract disillusioned voters and abstainers and provide real economic alternatives.
World Awaits Start of Srebrenica Butcher’s Trial
The trial is about to start in the Hague of perhaps the most infamous character from the Bosnian war – Ratko Mladic, the man charged with the slaughter of thousands of people in Srebrenica.
Hague Prosecutors Wrap Up Case Against Karadzic
In the next stage of the trial, which begins in autumn, the defence aims to call hundreds of witnesses ‘to help Karadzic tell his side of the story’.
Bosnia Cuts Dismissed as 'Illusion For IMF'
Announced cuts of 4.5 per cent to state sector salaries fail to address the fact that the country’s profligate entities spend far more money that the state, analysts say.
Socialists Flex Muscles in Post-Election Serbia
Once a marginal force in politics, Ivica Dacic's Socialists have doubled their seats in parliament by profiting from the weaknesses of their rivals and playing the nationalist card.
‘Hidden’ Taxes Hinder Investment in Serbia
Rising charges that businesses have to pay apart from regular tax are making investors in Serbia more cautious when calculating the costs of their operations.
Macedonia’s Arrests of ‘Terrorists’ Leave Questions Unanswered
While police confidently claim that radical Islamist were behind the recent mass killing in Skopje, some experts feel far from persuaded.
Searching for Buried Truth at RTS
Delays and “missing” documents damage hopes for an official inquiry into NATO attack on state broadcaster.
