Bosnia & Herzegovina
Demographic shifts threaten long-term growth in Emerging Europe, EBRD warns
Economies are "getting old before they get rich” as labour shortages, rising pension costs and declining working-age populations take their toll on region.
Dodik proxy wins presidential election in Bosnia’s Republika Srpska
Sinisa Karan, backed by ex-president Milorad Dodik’s ruling SNSD, secured just over half of the vote in Republika Srpska, narrowly ahead of opposition candidate Branko Blanusa
Bosnia’s Republika Srpska to hold pivotal early presidential election
Election in Bosnia's Serb entity to have broader implications for Bosnia's internal stability and progress on EU accession.
Bosnian minister sends Nazi helmet and insulting letter to international envoy
Foreign Trade Minister Staša Košarac accuses High Representative Christian Schmidt of being “the embodiment of political evil and ill will towards my homeland”.
EU accession policy fails to address Chinese engagement in Balkans
ECFR report warns the EU does not have a clear strategy for managing candidate countries’ engagement with China.
Milan prosecutors probe claims Italians paid to shoot civilians in Bosnian war
Investigators are seeking to identify Italian citizens who allegedly travelled to Bosnia to take part in what witnesses have described as a “human safari”.
The EU’s new supply web
Global turbulence has stalled FDI for now, but the potential for future investment around the EU’s periphery — from the Western Balkans to Ukraine to north Africa — remains strong.
New members expected to join EU by 2030 as enlargement momentum builds
Top European Commission officials say admitting new member states to the European Union by 2030 is now a “realistic goal”.
EU’s Kallas warns Bosnia’s EU accession window could close if reforms stall
EU officials have repeatedly said that the bloc’s door remains open to Bosnia, but internal political divisions and delayed reforms have slowed progress toward membership.
US lifts sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik
Dodik has been a dominant figure in Bosnian politics for more than two decades and is a key ally of Serbia and Russia in the region.
Western Balkan countries become emerging players in Europe’s defence efforts
The Western Balkans could play an increasingly important role in strengthening Europe’s security architecture, says a new report from the Carnegie Europe think-tank.
Emerging Europe’s growth holds up but risks loom, says wiiw
Fiscal fragility, weakening industrial demand from Germany, and the prolonged fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine threaten to undermine growth momentum in parts of the region.
UK sanctions Balkan gangs and financiers over people-smuggling networks
Measures target criminal networks involved in producing fake travel documents and an illicit financial group accused of supplying small boat engines to smugglers, Foreign Office says.
EU mulls partial membership plan to ease enlargement and bypass veto risks
Move is aimed at moving forward with enlargement and overcoming resistance from EU members such as Hungary, but reaching consensus to be a challenge.
The EU needs to change to stay geopolitically relevant
Leading EU figures are pushing for the unanimity rule used to make important decisions to be dropped to enable faster enlargement — one of the bloc’s main tools for geopolitical influence.
World Bank projects growth upturn for Western Balkans from 2027
But region needs to focus on job creation and reforms to catch up with average EU living standards within the next 40 years.
Rifts on show at EU-Western Balkan summit in Albania
Differences apparent over EU reform as well as friction between Serbia and Kosovo.
Bosnia adopts reform agenda to unlock EU funds
Bosnia could secure up to €917mn in EU funding after adopting the reform agenda, though the country has already forfeited about €108mn due to delays.
Russia could use UN Security Council presidency to destabilise Bosnia, ISW warns
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia will use its United Nations Security Council presidency to “review the implementation of the Dayton Accords”, indicating Kremlin aims to create instability in the Balkans.
EU’s influence declines in its neighbourhood as China and Russia gain ground
Chinese presence growing in Western Balkans, while Russia makes gains in Turkey, shows new index developed by wiiw, Bertelsmann Stiftung and ECIPE.