Balkan Insight

While some events covered in our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week suggest that possible changes are afoot, other parts of the region seem stuck in the same rut.

Week in Review: Turning Points and Endless Loops

Osijek court sentences Zeljko Travica to 20 years in prison for war crimes committed in Ceric and Mirkovci in 1991, when captured Croat fighters were abused and executed by Serb forces.

Croatia Finds Serb Ex-Paramilitary Guilty of Crimes Against Captured Fighters

Eleven players withdrew from the Olympic gold-winning men’s national team while the head coach resigned after criticism from the new Federation chief sparked anger.

Serbian Water Polo in Crisis After Federation Chief ‘Belittles’ Players

New government headed by ex-President Rumen Radev officially assumed office on Friday, with its anti-corruption mandate already facing scrutiny.

Radev's Party Takes Office in Bulgaria, Pledging Stability But Raising Early Doubts

The fall from power of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party threatens its satellite in Serbia, which was not only loyal to Viktor Orban, but also to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Moment of Reckoning for Hungarian Party in Serbia After Orban’s Fall

Controversy surrounding the appointment of new members to North Macedonia’s Anti-Discrimination Commission has raised fears that this key human rights body will once more be steered away from protecting the vulnerable to serving political interests.

Fears Grow over Credibility of North Macedonia's Anti-Discrimination Body

Land in Bosnia is being bought up by firms founded with Gulf capital, cleared of trees and sold to Gulf buyers, often Kuwaitis, for new homes that, by law, can’t be built, BIRN and ARIJ can reveal.

Bosnian Idyll? Gulf Investors Sold Land They Can’t Build On

Central Election Commission schedules elections at several levels for October 4, while preparing to introduce new biometric voter identification and ballot-scanning technology.

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Historical revisionism concerning the fascist Ustasha movement’s role in World War II has become embedded in contemporary Croatian politics and society.

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Montenegro is spending big to bring the high-profile EXIT music festival to its shores after its politically-connected exile from Serbia, although not everyone is convinced of the benefit.

Serbia’s EXIT Festival Moves to Montenegro, But Not Without Resistance

The landmark ruling in the Yasak case has turned the spotlight on the Turkish authorities’ practice since the failed coup of convicting people by association rather than on a basis of clear personal guilt.

European Court Judgment Spotlights Turkey’s Weaponisation of Terrorism Laws