RFE/RL's Balkan Service

Leftist-Nationalist Party Set For Huge Win In Kosovo's Parliamentary Elections

Kosovars have voted in early parliamentary elections that the leftist-nationalist Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party is expected to win, further complicating efforts to resolve the country's decades-long dispute with neighboring Serbia.

Kosovo's Voters Make Fresh Attempt At 'New Era' In Balkan 'Clash Of Generations'

Faced with their fifth election since independence 13 years ago, Kosovars appear eager to take up where they left off in getting their tiny Balkan homeland onto a more stable political footing.

Migrant Children Live Without Parents Among Ruins In Bosnia-Herzegovina

Dozens of migrant children live without their parents in rough camps, abandoned factories, and houses they find on their way through Bosnia-Herzegovina. RFE/RL's Balkan Service spoke to Afghan boys in the northwest of the country who hope to find their way to a better life in the European Union.

'No One Wants To Live Here': A Pollution Hot Spot In Bosnia

The European Union says Bosnia-Herzegovina has the continent's deadliest pollution. The district of Bukinje is so badly affected by a local coal-fired power station that its mayor says nobody wants to live there.

Montenegro Court Overturns 'Coup Plot' Verdicts

A Montenegrin court has scrapped the guilty verdicts handed down in relation to a plot to overthrow the government in 2016.

Serbia 'Dismantles' Soccer-Hooligan Crime Gang

Serbian authorities say they have arrested 17 people in a crackdown on a crime syndicate linked to hooligans who support a Belgrade soccer club.

Kosovo Formally Establishes Ties With Israel, To Open Embassy In Jerusalem

Kosovo and Israel have formally established diplomatic relations under a U.S.-brokered agreement that includes a pledge by the Muslim-majority Balkan country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

'Excrement Everywhere': Chinese Miners In Serbia Protest Living, Working Conditions

A protest by Chinese workers at Serbia's Cukaru Peki copper and gold mines has raised questions about the living and working conditions at the site. Three workers who asked for their identities to be protected corresponded with RFE/RL's Balkan Service about their life in eastern Serbia.

'Serbia's Harvey Weinstein': Rape Accusations Against Director Force Country To Confront Its Failures

Actress Milena Radulovic has gone public with rape allegations against a longtime fixture on the Belgrade cinematic scene, prompting a deluge of support and tough questions about Serbian society.

Kosovar Election Authorities Put Main Opposition Leader's Candidacy In Doubt

Kosovar election authorities have not verified the party lists of three parties in the upcoming parliamentary elections on February 14, potentially dashing former Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s bid of taking up the post again.

French, Chinese Firms Sign Deal On Belgrade Metro

Former Bosnian Army Commander Sentenced For War Crimes

A former Bosnian Army commander has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on January 22 for failing to stop killings and torture carried out by Islamist volunteer fighters who joined his troops during Bosnia's 1992-1995 war.

North Macedonia Lawmakers Vote To Hold First Census In Nearly 20 Years

North Macedonia’s lawmakers have passed a bill that could pave the way for the Balkan country to hold this spring its first census in almost 20 years.

Albania Expels Russian Diplomat For 'Repeated' Violations Of Coronavirus Restrictions

Albania says it is expelling a Russian diplomat for allegedly violating lockdown rules aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus in the Adriatic country.

Bosnia Urged To Provide Adequate Accommodation To Migrants Left In The Cold

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has joined a growing chorus of calls demanding that Bosnia-Herzegovina immediately provides “adequate, winterized” accommodation for hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers stranded in freezing temperatures in the country's northwest.

Montenegrin Parliament Again Passes Amendments On Church Property After Presidential Veto

Montenegro's parliament has approved changes to a controversial law on religion that has dominated politics in the Balkan country for more than a year.

Migrants Bathe In Bosnian Thermal Spring To Escape Harsh Conditions

Dozens of international migrants in Bosnia-Herzegovina have taken to bathing in natural thermal spring waters to keep clean. They say the water at the spring in the town of Ilidza, near Sarajevo, is warmer than in the nearby Blazuj camp where they have been living.

Kosovars Gather Near 'Biden Road' To Show Support For Incoming President

Dozens of people in Kosovo gathered at a school close to a road named after President-elect Joe Biden’s late son, Beau, to express their gratitude for the incoming president's support. They held posters of the president-elect with the words "Thank you, America" at the gathering on January 20.

Kosovo Ex-Officials Acquitted Of Falsifying Veterans' List

A court in Kosovo has acquitted former Prime Minister Agim Ceku and 11 other ex-government officials of misusing public money in welfare benefits to fake war veterans.

Serbian Freelancers Protest Retroactive Taxes

Hundreds of freelancers and online workers marched through central Belgrade on January 16 to protest a recent law that requires them to pay income taxes for the last five years. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service)