February 20, 2013 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Montenegro
After documents were leaked from Montenegro’s ruling party, revealing plans to hire political loyalists, the opposition is demanding action.The opposition daily newspaper Dan on Tuesday has published a letter which it calls proof of the growing politicisation of Montenegro’s public administration. In a letter sent to Dejan Zarubica, president of …
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February 20, 2013 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Macedonia
Macedonian journalists say conditions are not ripe for resuming talks with the government following the forced removal of reporters from parliament in December, which left relations in tatters.Macedonia’s Journalists Association, ZNM, said police still had not located and punished those who ordered and carried out the forced removal of reporters …
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February 19, 2013 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Serbia
As Brussels readies to decide on whether to grant Serbia a start date for EU accession talks, Serbian officials are heading to EU capitals to muster support.Serbian officials are travelling to Brussels and Berlin this week, to persuade their would-be EU partners of their willingness to “normalise” relations with Kosovo …
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February 19, 2013 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Macedonia
The head of the opposition Social Democrats says there is still time to defuse Macedonia’s political crisis and avert an opposition boycott of the March local elections.If the Macedonian government shows some goodwill, there is still time to solve the crisis in the country, the head of the opposition Social …
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February 19, 2013 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News
Protest rallies against high utility bills and monopolies continued on Tuesday in Bulgaria.Rallies in central Sofia on Monday evening were marked by demands for the resignation of the centre-right government and by clashes with riot police, which continued for over four hours with policemen chasing demonstrators on the streets. The …
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February 19, 2013 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Serbia
The fifth EU-mediated meeting between Kosovo and Serbia’s prime ministers takes place on Tuesday but little is known about what’s been discussed at the talks so far.EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will host the latest round of discussions between Kosovo’s premier Hashim Thaci and his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic …
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February 19, 2013 Balkan News, Balkans, Bosnia Hertegovina, Croatia, Eurasia, Eurasia News
Bosnia and Croatia have solved several open issues that could affect both countries after July 1, when Croatia is due to join the European Union.Bosnia’s Foreign Minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija, on February 18 praised the efforts made over the past year to solve remaining open questions with Croatia, especially hailing an …
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February 19, 2013 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News, Romania
The struggle over who should lead the former ruling Democratic Liberal Party is unlikely to restore its standing with the electorate.With around one month to go before crucial internal elections on March 23, the Democratic Liberal Party, PDL, Romania’s biggest opposition party, remains divided by disputes and between its main …
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February 18, 2013 Albania, Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News
Authorities in Austria and Tirana are investigating allegations that an Albanian student was sexually abused after waking up from a coma following a tragic bus accident.Two parallel investigations are now underway after the family of 23-year-old Florije Peci alleged that she became pregnant as a result of a sex attack …
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February 18, 2013 Balkan News, Balkans, Eurasia, Eurasia News
Kosovo police detained a man suspected of smashing religious icons at a Serbian Orthodox church amid a recent upsurge of desecrations.Police said the man, identified only as D.A., an ethnic Serb, was detained after he broke into the church in the village of Kufca in the Gilane region late on …
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