Balkan Legal News – 17 September 2025
- Sep 17, 2025
- 2 min read
The following media round-up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 09 September to 16 September 2025.
Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates with a focus on Bosnia and Hercegovina, 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.
Albania – 12 September 2025
Albania has just announced a world first. Prime Minister Edi Rama revealed that his new cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” tasked with tackling corruption. The full article can be found here.
Bulgaria – 16 September 2025
Bulgarian authorities have confirmed the arrest of a Russian ship owner whose vessel is linked to a cargo of ammonium nitrate at the centre of the massive 2020 port explosion in Beirut. The full article can be found here.
Kosovo – 15 September 2025
Former US assistant secretary of state James Rubin, the first defence witness for Kosovo’s ex-President Hashim Thaci at his Hague trial, testified that Thaci did not have decision-making authority over the Kosovo Liberation Army during the war. The full article can be found here.
Serbia – 14 September 2025
Serbia remains gripped by a deep political crisis, with anti-government protesters and supporters of President Aleksandar Vučić holding parallel rallies across the Balkan country. The full article can be found here.
Kosovo – 14 September 2025
Hundreds of ethnic Albanians from across Europe and the US staged a protest against the Kosovo war crimes court, as lawyers for former President Hashim Thaci and his three co-defendants prepare to begin the case for the defence. The full article can be found here.
Croatia – 12 September 2025
Amid discontent over the frequent public display of World War II-era Ustasa symbols and salutes, Croatia's centre-left opposition has called for new penalties—but with exceptions that have sparked criticism. The full article can be found here.
Montenegro – 10 September 2025
State Department sanctions former Budva mayor Milo Bozovic and former Supreme Court president Vesna Medenica, stressing its 'commitment to combating illicit drug trafficking'. The full article can be found here.
Croatia – 9 September 2025
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic and the opposition Mozemo! (We Can!) party condemned Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and other high officials for meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Zagreb. The full article can be found here.