Balkan Legal News

Weekly update: 28 April – 4 May 2023 The following media round up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 28 April to 4 May 2023.

Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates with a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia . Should you wish to contribute or submit a media summary, opinion piece or blog, please send to Ned Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com for consideration.

Serbia – 3 May 2023

Boy, 13, who shot dead eight children at Belgrade school had list of students he wanted to kill, police say. The full article can be found here.

Macedonia – 3 May 2023

North Macedonia’s first prosecutor in charge of handling attacks on journalists said that while the number of physical attacks is falling, ‘online threats are increasing’. The full article can be found here.

Serbia – 3 May 2023

An analysis of declassified US government documents shows what Bill Clinton’s administration got right and wrong about the Bosnian war – and how it agonised about lifting the arms embargo and using air strikes against the Serbs. The full article can be found here.

Bulgaria – 2 May 2023

Bulgaria’s premier convened a national security meeting after chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev narrowly escaped a bomb attack, but his opponents believe the incident might have been a PR stunt. The full article can be found here.

Kosovo – 1 May 2023

The arrest of the former director of the Kosovo Energy Corporation, KEK, has sparked a verbal war between the opposition and ruling parties – while a coal power plant remains unfixed and KEK’s employees are waiting for pay rises. The full article can be found here.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 28 April 2023

Less than seven months after his last intervention, Bosnia’s international envoy has had to intervene again to break the deadlock in government formation in the country's Federation entity. The full article can be found here.

Hungary – 28 April 2023

Hungarian President Vetoes controversial anti-LGBT Law. The Hungarian parliament approved a law earlier in April that in theory transposes an EU directive protecting whistle-blowers, but actually contains a paragraph that would enable citizens to anonymously denounce people who contest the “Hungarian way of life” The full article can be found here.

Moldova – 28 april 2023

Magistrates and politicians are at odds over EU-sought judicial reforms, but both sides seem to agree a way out needs to be found. The full article can be found here.