Balkan developments

Republika Srpska marks its holiday, deemed unconstitutional by Bosnia and Herzegovina

The celebration of Republika Srpska Day, observed on January 9, began on January 8 in Banja Luka with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Saint Pantelija Cemetery and at the Fallen Soldiers Square, state media RTRS reported, as cited by BTA. Celebrations on January 9 include a liturgy at the Church of Christ the Savior and a ceremonial parade in the central square.

The Republika Srpska Day, which has been declared unconstitutional by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), marks the creation of the federal unit in 1992 as a political formation of the Serbian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On January 9, 1992, Bosnian Serbs declared independence with the aim of joining Serbia, which triggered a civil and ethnic war that claimed around 100,000 lives. The 43-month siege of Sarajevo claimed the lives of more than 11,000 people.

Greece seeks ways to end the farmers’ blockades

The Greek government will take action to deal with the blockades organized by protesting farmers, preferably through consensus, but if that proves impossible, by enforcing the law, announced Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, BTA reported.

“The farmers themselves will begin to realize that they are isolating themselves from wider society. The government has assumed its responsibilities. From now on, what is happening is harming both the national economy and the farmers themselves. In any case, the government will not remain a spectator”, Hatzidakis said in an interview with Sky TV.

According to him, the protesting farmers are in a situation where “they have demands but reject dialogue.” He emphasized that the government has approved a package of measures and that there will be no further concessions. These include the redistribution of unused subsidies to farmers, a two-year extension of fixed electricity prices for the agricultural sector to 8.5 euro cents per kWh, among others.

The protests by Greek farmers began at the end of November 2025 due to delayed payments of EU subsidies and accumulated problems in the agricultural sector. Their actions have caused prolonged blockades of the country’s border crossings, highways and ports. Transport companies are among those most heavily affected by the protests.

Croatia reinstates compulsory military service

With amendments to the country’s Defense Act, after a 17-year hiatus, the Croatian Ministry of Defense is reintroducing compulsory two-month military service for men up to the age of 29. Call-up notices for medical examinations have been sent to 1,200 young men, the Croatian online newspaper Index reported. Those found fit will be sent to training centers.

There, conscripts will learn basic aspects of military life and discipline, such as conduct in the barracks and making their beds, handling weapons, using modern equipment including drones, providing first aid, and basic self-defense. Conscripts will receive a monthly net salary of around EUR 1,100, and the two months will count toward their work experience.

The program aims to provide young people with the skills and knowledge to handle crisis situations, thereby preparing them to contribute to national security.

Triplet boys are the first newborns in Kosovo for 2026

The first babies of 2026 in Kosovo are triplet boys, KОHA reported. They were born at the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo in Pristina in the early hours of the new year. The medical facility said the birth went without complications, the mother and the babies are in stable health, and are under constant medical supervision. The woman became a mother for the first time after eight years of infertility.

Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, together with acting Minister of Health Arben Vitia, visited the gynecology clinic and congratulated the mother. According to him, the event is very special not only because it is the first birth of the year, but also because triplets were born.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov