Balkan developments

Serbia to hold early Parliamentary elections in October

Serbia will hold early parliamentary elections on October 18 or 25, 2026, President Aleksandar Vučić said in a television interview. The exact date will be announced in the coming days, RTS reported.

Serbia’s parliamentary elections were originally scheduled for December 2027. Vučić, however, pledged to call early elections following prolonged anti-government protests sparked by the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which resulted in the deaths of 16 people.

Aleksandar Vučić has already said that he will seek support to become prime minister. He previously held the post until 2017. In April 2017, he was elected president and was re-elected in April 2022. Under Serbia’s Constitution, the president serves a five-year term and may be re-elected once.

Romania faces tighter fiscal constraints amid rising debt

Romania’s Minister of Finance Alexandru Nazare said in a Facebook post that the government cannot increase total personnel expenses or total social assistance expences amid a government debt exceeding 60% of GDP.

The debt reached 60.1% of GDP at the end of the first quarter of this year, up from 59.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 55.8% in the first quarter of the same year, according to Eurostat data. ''With public debt exceeding 60% of GDP, fiscal discipline is an obligation, not an option'', Nazare said. He also noted that Romania is subject to an excessive deficit procedure, which requires limiting the growth of expenditure.

His ministry expects the debt to reach 61.8% of GDP this year, 63.3% in 2027, and 63.9% in 2028, before potentially beginning to decline.

“Safe City” system causes kilometer-long queues at Tabanovce border crossing

A new mechanism for penalizing foreign drivers, which came into force on August 19, has caused kilometer-long queues at the Tabanovce border crossing in North Macedonia on the border with Serbia. When leaving the country, vehicles with foreign license plates are now checked for violations detected by the “Safe City” system, media in North Macedonia reported. The checks also cover violations recorded before August 19. Drivers are notified of any violations and issued a violation notice, with fines payable in accordance with the law. The mechanism is expected to be gradually introduced at other border crossings as well.

Between February 2 and May 31, 2026, the “Safe City” system recorded 33,722 violations committed by vehicles with foreign license plates.

Russia, Germany and the UK lead Türkiye’s tourism market

Türkiye welcomed 20.767 million foreign tourists in the first half of 2026, down 2.96% from the same period last year. Including Turkish citizens living abroad who visited the country, the total number of visitors reached 25.758 million, BTA reported.

Russia remained the largest source market, with 2.645 million tourists, followed by Germany with 2.441 million and the UK with 1.580 million. Bulgaria ranked fourth, with nearly 1.265 million visits, followed by Iran. Visitor numbers from China, Ukraine, Brazil and the Netherlands recorded growth.

Istanbul remained the leading destination, welcoming 8.612 million foreign visitors. Meanwhile, Antalya, a traditional favorite among Bulgarian tourists, recorded a 9.57% decline in visitors, welcoming 5.247 million tourists.

Madonna celebrates 68th birthday on Greece’s Corfu Island

American pop star Madonna celebrated her 68th birthday in the crystal-clear waters of the Ionian Sea off the Greek island of Corfu, surrounded by family members and close friends, the British newspaper The Sun reported, as cited by BTA. For her week-long stay, the pop icon chose a property in the northern part of the island, featuring private access to the sea and a private marina. She also rented a yacht for the celebrations.

During her stay in Greece, Madonna also visited the Varlaam Monastery at Meteora, where she prayed and received a blessing from the abbot, BNR’s correspondent in Greece, Katya Peeva, reported. According to the priest, the two spoke about the power of religion in a personal and spiritual conversation. Madonna also made a donation to the monastery.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov