Balkan Developments

Survey: Ceaușescu remains the most popular leader in Romania

36 years after the Revolution of 1989, communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu remains the most popular political leader in Romania's modern history, according to a survey by Cult Research (February 2–10, 2026), cited by the Ziare portal. In a hypothetical vote for heads of state after 1967, Ceaușescu would receive 41%, ahead of presidents Traian Băsescu (26%), Emil Constantinescu (17%), Klaus Iohannis (11%) and Ion Iliescu (5%). Nostalgia for communism is stronger in villages and among people with secondary education, while for entrepreneurs, people in the cities and university graduates, Traian Băsescu is the favourite. It is interesting that the lowest level of sympathy for the dictator (36%) is shown by Generation X (46-61 years old), who experienced the regime, and those who know communism only from textbooks are the most seduced by authoritarianism: Generation Y (30-45 years old) - 46%, Generation Z (18-29 years old) – 42%.

Thousands rally in Pristina in support of former KLA leaders

On February 17, Kosovo marked 18 years since its declaration of independence from Serbia. Thousands of citizens gathered in Pristina in support of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Yakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, indicted at the Specialized Court for Kosovo in The Hague. The march, organized by the "Freedom Has a Name" platform, was accompanied by calls for justice, KosovaPress reported, quoted by BTA. President Vjosa Osmani also participated in the event. The organizers insisted that the trial be impartial and not equate "the aggressor with the victim".
On February 9, closing arguments began in the case against the former KLA commanders. The prosecution requested 45 years in prison for each, while the defence requested acquittals. The trial began on April 3, 2023. The four were detained in November 2020 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 1998–1999 Kosovo War. The detainees deny the charges.

North Macedonia's largest mosque is near completion

The construction of North Macedonia's largest mosque, with the support of Türkiye, is near completion, Anadolu Ajansı has reported. The construction of the mosque in Skopje started in 2017 by the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and is based on the model of the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Istanbul. It covers an area of ​​10,000 sq m, has two minarets, each 48 m high, and will accommodate up to 1,000 worshippers inside and about 3,200 people in the open areas. According to the Religious Affairs Counsellor at the Turkish Embassy in Skopje, Mustafa Bodur, the mosque will serve not only as a place of worship, but also as a center for social and cultural activities in the community.

Nearly 28% of Cyprus residents were born abroad

Over a quarter of those living in Cyprus were born abroad, Eurostat data shows. The Mediterranean country is in the top three of the EU in this indicator, while Bulgaria is at the bottom of the ranking, BNR correspondent in Cyprus, Branislava Bobanac, has reported. 27.6% of Cyprus residents were born outside the island. In this indicator, the country ranks after Luxembourg and Malta. Bulgaria reports just 3.8% born abroad. The same EU trio also leads in the share of foreigners living in the country as of January 1, 2025. In Cyprus they are 24.8%, in Luxembourg – 47% and in Malta – 29.4%, while in Bulgaria they are 2.3%. National statistics report significant differences in the salaries of Cypriots and foreigners. Almost half of foreigners earn less than 1,500 euros per month, while about 44% of Cypriots earn between 1,500 and 3,000 euros. The average salary in the third quarter of 2025 was nearly 2,500 euros.

Türkiye to fund TV series with up to $100,000 per episode

Türkiye will provide financial assistance for the production of Turkish TV series of up to $100,000 per episode to encourage the sector, TRT Haber reports. The series must meet certain criteria. According to Minister of Culture Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, this will become a driving force of the strategy to promote Turkish culture. At a press conference in Istanbul, Ersoy said that Türkiye is among the largest exporters of TV series in the world. He said that Türkiye has one of the three largest TV industries in the world, with its production reaching 1 billion people in nearly 170 countries. "Turkish TV series are the biggest Turkish language course in the world today. The fact that people from different cultures thousands of kilometers away use Turkish words, try to learn Turkish, give their children Turkish names and that viewers want to visit our country shows how deep the impact of this sector can be," Ersoy said.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova