Apostolova asks corrupt officials be dismissed
Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova, said the EU is ready to support plan on judiciary for 2018. Original post Here
Austrian diplomat: Kosovo on the verge of collapse
Kosovo is deeply divided. It is a weak state on the verge of collapse, one could say – especially in comparison to Serbia, which has developed very strongly, both economically and overall. This is what Austrian diplomat and politician Wolfgang Petritsch says. Original post Here
Russia's ban is rejected, Kosovo will participate under its flag
Judo World Federation President Marius Vizer has given green light to Kosovar judokas to attend Judo World Masters 2017 competition to be held next weekend in St. Petersburg, Russia, following the request of the Russian state that Kosovo should not be represented by state symbols. Original post Here
Internal correspondence reveals factions within Vetevendosje
An internal exchange of emails between senior Vetevendosje members and its chairman Visar Ymeri indicates that there is an internal faction within the biggest opposition party in Kosovo. The exchange of emails was published by Koha.net on Friday. Original post Here
Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev to visit Kosovo
Prime Minister of Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, will visit Kosovo next week, officials from Skopje announced. Original post Here
Thaci at the Conference of Paris: Dialogue with Serbia key to EU integrations
Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci, who is participating in the Paris Conference, as part of the International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA) has addressed participants today and talked about Kosovo’s political and economic development as part of the EU integration process. Original post Here
Russia bans use of the flag and anthem, Kosovo boycotts World Judo Masters
Kosovo has decided to boycott the World Judo Masters 2017, which will be held in St. Petersburg, Russia on 16-17 December, after the host country, announced that they will not allow the Kosovo team use state symbols. Russia has not recognized Kosovo’s independence due to their strong ties with Serbia. …
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci attends the Conference of Paris
The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, following a visit to Bulgaria, has travelled on Friday to France, when he will be one of the speakers of the First Conference of Paris, which is being held within the International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA). Original post Here
Number of confirmed cases of measles rises to one thousand in Kosovo
The University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (UCCK) has confirmed the number of cases of measles has risen to around one thousand in seven months. Original post Here
Northern Kosovo: No rule of law, corruption level remains high
The level of corruption in northern part of Kosovo, inhabited mainly by Serbs, remains high because of non-functioning of judiciary and lack of a law on protection of whistle-blowers. Original post Here
British far-right leader fails to land a punch with Albania’s prime minister in fiery row on social media over the number of Albanians held in UK jails. Original post Here
The Western military alliance’s new national spending benchmark on defence and security may cause problems for smaller and poorer NATO member states in the Balkans who cannot afford 5 per cent of GDP. Original post Here
Jerina Zaloshnja As Albania accelerates the formal process of European Union accession—opening negotiation chapters at a pace that seems to outstrip democratic reforms—it faces an urgent and unavoidable truth: a country cannot genuinely integrate into the EU without first building a functioning rule-of-law society. No volume of technical chapters opened …
Freedom of Information laws in the six Western Balkan countries may look robust, but public institutions all too often find ways to obstruct transparency, a new BIRN report has found. Original post Here
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
An inability to plan for the future is driving many young, educated Albanians to leave their homeland; experts say the government will have to address the trend sooner or later. Original post Here
From politics to the media business, high expectations often go hand-in-hand with disappointments big and small, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows. Original post Here
When Tirana mayor and Socialist Party rising star Erion Veliaj was arrested on corruption charges, he lashed out against the judiciary. Now he’s running a social media PR campaign to charm the public. Can it work? Original post Here
In October 2024, a shipment of containers with suspected hazardous waste was returned to Albania. But prosecutors haven’t yet managed to analyse their contents because they say they’re unable to find the necessary laboratory services. Original post Here
Already repurposed due to legal challenges, Italy’s asylum centres in Albania cost more than originally planned and much more than similar facilities in Italy itself, offering a potential lesson for other European governments tempted to take the same route. Original post Here