Balkan Developments

More than 1,000 protest in Blegrade against overseas voting restrictions

More than 1,000 people protested outside the Republic Electoral Commission in Belgrade on October 7 against restrictions on voting abroad ahead of the early parliamentary elections on October 25, BTA reported.

The Republic Electoral Commission changed the locations of polling stations abroad. They are located mainly in Serbian embassies and consulates, requiring some voters to travel long distances to exercise their right to vote. Polling stations abroad are also expected to operate according to Serbian astronomical time. This means that Serbian citizens in countries such as Australia will have to vote at night.

More than 100,000 for Serbian citizens living abroad have registered to vote in the upcoming elections, compared with around 40,000 in the 2023 parliamentary vote. On October 25, the student-led opposition will face the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, led by Aleksandar Vučić.

Brussels calls for swift government formation following elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The EU has called on elected representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to take full responsibility to form the state-, entity- and cantonal level- authorities without delay following the general elections held on October 4, hina.hr reported. According to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, the elections proceeded normally.

The EU is urging BiH to take all necessary steps and implement the reforms required to open accession negotiations. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also encouraged to make full use of the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. To avoid the further loss of funds, the country urgently needs to finalise the legal and institutional framework and proceed with implementing the committed reforms.

Kosovo lawmakers elect Justina Shiroka-Pula as President

In the final minutes of October 6, just before the deadline to elect Kosovo’s president expired, the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) backed Justina Shiroka-Pula for the post, averting another snap parliamentary election.

Shiroka-Pula served as Kosovo’s Minister of Energy from 2008 to 2011. She was a member of the PDK until 2014. She has led the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo since December 2025.

As part of the deal to elect the president, the ruling Self-Determination Movement (Vetëvendosje) supported amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers in the Hague, proposed by the PDK, Koha.net reported.

Egypt to link Africa with the EU through a trade and logistics corridor in the Balkans

A new private trade and logistics corridor will connect Egyptian ports with the Balkans and EU markets via Thessaloniki, Sofia and Niš. The “Arab-Balkan Corridor” initiative, presented in Cairo, was developed by Dutch company BDS Holding BV in cooperation with the Union of Arab Chambers.

Under the plan, cargo from Egypt will be shipped from the ports of Alexandria and Port Said to Thessaloniki, before continuing by rail and road through Bulgaria and Serbia to European markets.

Sofia is envisaged as a major rail logistics hub, while Niš will serve as a key distribution point for Serbia and the Western Balkans. The route will use existing transport infrastructure. The Niš–Sofia connection is part of a branch of Pan-European Transport Corridor X, BGNES reported.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan signs a law aimed at reducing the country’s bear population

Romanian President Nicușor Dan has signed a law aimed at reducing the country’s bear population. The law authorizes the preventive culling of 859 brown bears by 2027. An additional 110 bears may be culled by the end of 2026 if they pose a threat.

In recent years, bears have increasingly been appearing in populated areas across Romania, while the number of attacks has also risen, including fatal incidents, digi24.ro reported.

Romania is home to Europe’s largest bear population, estimated at between 10,479 and 12,700 animals. Conservationists are protesting against the law and argue that, rather than spending money on culling, efforts should focus on sterilizing bears to control population growth.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov