Balkan Legal News - 4 October 2024

The following media round-up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 26 September 2024 to 3 October 2024. 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.

Guernica 37 Balkan Legal News

Kosovo – 3 October 2024

The Association of Defence Counsel practising before the International Courts and Tribunals (ADC-ICT) expresses concern over further reductions to legal aid at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the continuing absence of a functional bar association; see here.

Kosovo – 3 October 2024

A female student at a high school in Kosovo has been suspended for refusing to remove her hijab, the latest battleground in Europe over the traditional Muslim head scarf, which has been a hot-button issue across the continent in recent years; see here.

Kosovo – 3 October 2024

Kosovo’s prime minister said that the Balkan region has enjoyed the greatest degree of peace, freedom and democracy over the past 25 years but this could be reversed if Russia prevails in Ukraine and encourages Serbian expansion; see here.

Romania – 3 October 2024

European Commission has opened infringement procedures by sending a letter of formal notice to Romania for restricting the freedom of market participants to determine their wholesale prices of electricity and gas as well as the export of gas; see here.

Balkans – 2 October 2024

The EU’s approach to accession conditionalities needs a course correction. While legal and institutional frameworks are essential, their mere creation is not enough. Current plans lack the necessary determination and ambition to ensure effective enforcement of these new rules; see here.

Serbia – 30 September 2024

Courted at once by the Chinese, Americans, Russians and the European Union, all of whom see Serbia as a key piece on the global chessboard, he has managed to convince them all that he is either on their side or on the verge of locking arms with them; see here.

Serbia – 30 September 2024

RT and other Kremlin-controlled media are under sanctions imposed by the EU. In Serbia, which did not join the sanctions, these Russian media outlets work without hindrance; see here.

Croatia – 30 September 2024

Some 40 per cent of 1,333 lawsuits brought against Croatian media outlets and journalists between 2016 and 2023 contained at least one element of a so-called SLAPP designed to silence criticism, according to a study; see here.

Bulgaria – 29 September 2024

The joint operation between UK and Bulgarian authorities resulted in 33 interceptions - and the seizure of 125 dangerous inflatable boats, 128 engines, more than 700 pumps, and 300 rubber rings; see here.

Bosnia – 28 September 2024

How do you tell a family who lost someone to genocide that they may have buried the wrong body? That is the extremely delicate challenge facing missing persons organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina; see here.

North Macedonia – 27 September 2024

North Macedonia’s conservative prime minister has reacted angrily to reports that his country’s troubled EU accession bid hit a new hurdle because of a dispute with neighbouring bloc member Bulgaria; see here.

Bosnia – 27 September 2024

Bosnia’s Central Election Commission fined Vlade Sladoje, candidate for the mayor of Kalinovik at October’s local elections, 10,000 euros for spreading hate speech and glorifying war criminal Ratko Mladic; see here.