Falling Water Levels on Danube Threaten Serbia’s Electricity Supply

With the Danube River at a historical low in some parts of Serbia, fuel imports arriving by river are at risk and energy production is being reduced.

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Turkey Submits Long-waited PKK Disarmament Law to Parliament

Much-heralded framework law provides legal basis for disarming armed Kurdish group – so hopefully ending a decades-long conflict.

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Kosovo’s Kurti Urged to Share Power, to Avoid New Polls

Ahead of the opening of the new parliament, opposition calls on Kurti to compromise over decision making – unless he wants yet another election.

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Croatia’s Operation Storm in Pictures, 31 years on: Homes Restored, Fewer People

Using wartime photographs provided by veteran photographers Zeljko Gasparovic and Stanko Feric, BIRN returned to the exact locations where they were taken to document how these places have changed over 31 years.

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EU Caught Between Child Protection and Privacy With Encryption Rules

The European Parliament wants to exempt apps with end-to-end encryption from automatically scanning private messages to detect Child Sexual Abuse Material, CSAM, as some question whether it’s found the right balance.

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Montenegro’s EU Accession is Critical Test of Europe’s Resolve

The candidate state’s next election will be a de facto referendum on EU membership, so Europe must make sure this vital vote is free of malign interference.

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In Playing Kosovo Card, Serbian Students Risk Losing Liberals in Snap Polls

In embracing the established narrative on Kosovo, Serbia’s students are taking a risk come snap elections expected in the autumn.

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Kosovo Detains Third Suspect as Mass Grave Probe Expands in North

Authorities detain third suspect as forensic teams excavate suspected mass grave sites in north, where remains of four people have already been exhumed.

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Romania Cuts Industrial Output to Ease Power Shortage

Extreme heat and exceptionally low water levels in rivers force Romania to curb industrial production in order to reduce electricity consumption.

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Hungary Narrowly Avoids Full Nuclear Shutdown; Slovenia Plant Still at Full Capacity

The cooling of Hungary and Romania’s nuclear power plants by pumping water directly from the Danube to chill the reactors makes them particularly vulnerable to drought, unlike the plant in Slovenia.

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Bulgaria Dismantles Country’s First Fentanyl Lab After Sofia Raid

Authorities seize high-tech fentanyl lab on outskirts of capital capable of producing nearly ten kilos of the deadly drug daily.

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North Macedonia Opposition Blasts ‘Secret Talks’ on Deal With Bulgaria

Opposition condemns lack of transparency after Foreign Minister reveals government is working behind closed doors to solve dispute with Bulgaria and unblock EU talks.

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Election Race Starts As Bulgaria’s Acting President Seeks Full Mandate

Iliana Iotova, a long-time socialist and previously a Vice-President to Rumen Radev, confirmed she will run in October’s presidential elections, as competitors emerge.

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When Propaganda Backfires: Lessons from Orban’s Social Media Defeat in Hungary Election

Many factors contributed to the Hungarian government’s election defeat, including social media campaigns which misfired as public trust eroded. Yet Russian-style disinformation remains a persistent threat.

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Ticket Out: A Serbian’s Journey from Mercenary in Ukraine to Gangland Hitman

A Serbian veteran of the conflict in Ukraine tells investigators how he ended up as a hitman for a Balkan drug clan.

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Wildfires in Greece Blaze for Fourth Day

Hundreds of firefighters on Monday battled to control a major wildfire in Greece – as the death toll among firefighters from recent blazes rose to five.

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Monday Briefing from the Balkans: August 3, 2026

Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region.

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Snap Elections Remain Uncertain After Serbia’s No-Confidence Vote

After the no-confidence vote concluded, calling snap elections became much easier, but many factors will determine their timing – or whether they take place at all.

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Greek Arrests Revive Politically Charged Case of 2010 Bank Arson

After 16 years of false hope and alleged judicial missteps, Greek police have arrested two suspects and issued a warrant for a third in the case of a fatal arson attack on a bank branch in Athens in 2010. The case remains politically charged to this day.

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LDK Congress Confirms Leader, Opening Door to Kosovo Coalition Talks

Vetevendosje and the LDK will likely resume coalition talks following Lumir Abdixhiku’s confirmation as LDK leader – but his narrow victory has weakened his authority over his MPs, experts warn.

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Croatia’s War Crimes Prosecutions are Stagnating, Watchdog Warns

New report says number of war-crimes trials continues to decline, while crimes against Serbian civilians and prisoners-of-war are rarely investigated.

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Week in Review: Cocaine Busts, Changing Goals, Tourism Woes

Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at Washington’s shifting foreign policy priorities in the Balkans, a suspicious drug trawl, surging property prices and more.

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Albanian Graduates Hit Hardest by ‘Outdated’ North Macedonia Ranking System

With a new law on ‘fair’ representation in North Macedonia’s public administration stalled, hiring is heavily determined by an outdated university ranking system that critics say puts Albanian graduates at a disadvantage.

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Money the Greatest Challenge Facing Serbia’s Small, Independent Media

Financial pressures are now the greatest threat to the survival of small, independent media in Serbia, journalists say.

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Democracy Digest: Danube Falls to Lowest Levels in 30 Years

Elsewhere, suspected Russian missile crashes in Poland; Hungary sets up agency to recover assets stolen under Orban government; Slovak president calls for more use of Chinese tech on visit to Beijing; Czech government warns of rising online youth radicalisation.

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Bosnia’s Mainly Serb Entity Ramps Up Lobbying Outlay under Trump

Donald Trump’s second term has coincided with a significant increase in lobbying efforts by Bosnia’s Republika Srpska entity, resulting, it seems, in the lifting of US sanctions on Milorad Dodik and his family and allies.

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Serbian Feminists Expect Boost From Montenegro’s Menstrual Leave Law

Serbian women’s right organisations welcome Montenegrin law amendments introducing paid menstrual leave – and call for similar advance in their own country.

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Live From Manhattan: Bosnia’s Republika Srpska and a Selective View of the Past

Launched on the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, a billboard campaign in New York marked the latest attempt by Bosnia’s Republika Srpska to promote an alternative, highly-selective narrative of what went on in the Bosnian war.

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Kosovo Detains Two on War Crime Allegations Amid Mass Grave Excavation

Arrest of unnamed suspects relates to ongoing excavation of suspected mass grave near Zubin Potok – which some believes may contain remains of 23 Kosovo Albanians abducted in 1999.

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Former Turkish PM Davutoglu Quits Politics After Failing to Unite Conservatives

Former PM seen as key architect of modern Turkey's 'soft power' strategy in region leaves politics after his party fails to make breakthrough.

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