Balkan developments

Siegfried Mureșan cabinet rejected in Parliament

Romania remains without a regular government after parliament rejected the government lineup proposed by PM designate Siegfried Mureșan. 182 MPs voted in favour and 15 against. In order to be sworn in, this government needed a minimum of 233 favorable votes. President Nicușor Dan is set to hold a new round of consultations on Monday to find a fourth candidate for prime minister, Radio Romania International reports.

The political crisis in the country has been ongoing for nearly five months. The government of Ilie Bolojan was brought down by a no-confidence vote in May but has remained in office as a caretaker government. The first candidate, Eugen Tomac, withdrew after failing to secure sufficient support, while the proposed cabinet of liberal Adrian Veștea was rejected by parliament.

Following the rejection of two proposed cabinets and the passage of more than 60 days since the first no-confidence motion, the Constitution allows the president to dissolve parliament and call early elections. Nicușor Dan, however, has ruled out such a scenario, arguing that it would deepen instability and delay urgently needed budget adjustments.

Serbian President Vučić resigns to run for prime minister

Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić assumed the duties of President of Serbia on September 28 after Aleksandar Vučić resigned. Vučić said he was stepping down as President in order to campaign in the early parliamentary elections on October 25 as the Serbian Progressive Party’s candidate for prime minister, N1 reported.

The early election was called following a prolonged political crisis and mass student protests that began after the 2024 tragedy at the railway station in Novi Sad that claimed 16 lives.

Under the Constitution, Brnabić can serve as acting President for up to three months. A presidential election must be held within that period to elect a new head of state.

Albania looks to boost revenue from high-end tourism

“Albania will seek to develop high-end tourism following another increase in visitor numbers”, Prime Minister Edi Rama said at the Euronews Travel & Tourism Summit 2026 in Brussels.

In 2025, Albania recorded 12.47 million visits by foreign nationals, a 6.6% increase compared with 2024, up from nearly 2 million in 2013, when Rama became prime minister. According to Rama, visitors included tourists from Japan, the United States, Latin America, China, Israel and the Middle East, shqiptarja.com reports.

The country will seek not only to attract more visitors but also to expand its luxury tourism segment, draw high-spending tourists, and generate greater revenues from the sector.

During the summer, Albania saw mass protests against a planned luxury resort near Zvërnec linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Protesters warned that the project would affect the protected Vjosa-Narta area and harm the local ecosystem. On September 30, Edi Rama told Euronews that the fate of the investment will be decided by the results of the environmental impact assessment, not “the streets and ideology.”

Kosovo increasingly relies on foreign workers

Kosovo is increasingly turning to foreign workers to address labor shortages amid continued emigration, particularly among young people of working age, to EU countries, Koha reports.

In 2025, more than 9,000 foreign nationals were granted residence permits, including 5,087 for employment purposes, compared with 2,122 in 2021. Turkish citizens received the largest number of temporary residence permits (3,263), followed by citizens of Serbia, North Macedonia and other countries. Labor shortages are most acute in construction, retail, hospitality, restaurants, and manufacturing.

“Institutions must take measures to retain the existing workforce, encourage emigrants to return, and develop vocational skills”, warned Lulzim Rafuna, President of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce.

According to the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the country’s population stood at 1,582,322 in 2025.

Young people in Montenegro receive funding for social business ideas

Three youth teams in Montenegro each received EUR 2,500 in seed funding for their social business ideas at the final of the international Social Impact Award program in Podgorica, Vijesti reports.

The competition supports young people who develop entrepreneurial solutions to social challenges. The supported projects are Plovi Farma, a digital farm management platform; FireFly, an AI-powered platform for autonomous drones designed for the early detection of fires; and Brain Reset Cards, an app offering short cognitive training exercises.

The Audience Award, along with EUR 1,500, went to ReDsponse, a platform connecting blood donors with transfusion services.

The winning teams will also receive three months of mentoring, free workspace at the Science and Technology Park, and the opportunity to participate in the international SIA Summit. Over the past five years, the program has featured 268 social-impact ideas developed by more than 600 young people.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov