Kosovo
Western Balkans set to miss EU transport deadline as projects stall
European Court of Auditors points to project delays, weak oversight and concerns over long-term sustainability.
Vetëvendosje leads Kosovo snap elections as turnout falls to 36%
Albin Kurti's Vetëvendosje secured 43.6% of the vote in Kosovo's third general election since February 2025.
EU seeks to accelerate Western Balkans integration as enlargement returns to centre stage
The European Union used a summit in Montenegro to signal that enlargement remains firmly on the bloc's agenda, even as long-standing disputes slow the accession of some Western Balkan countries
Germany and France propose gradual EU integration model for Western Balkans and Moldova ahead of Tivat summit
Germany and France have circulated a non-paper proposing a new approach to the enlargement process that would accelerate the gradual integration of Southeast European countries and Moldova into the EU.
Middle East conflict and energy shock slow growth across EBRD regions
Bank warns higher energy costs are reigniting inflation, weakening industrial competitiveness and straining already fragile public finances
European Council President Costa urges Western Balkans to seize enlargement momentum
Visit to Western Balkans takes place as Brussels seeks to maintain momentum in its long-stalled expansion policy amid heightened geopolitical tensions.
The EU's enlargement dilemma
Europe debates new shape of enlargement as Ukraine and Western Balkan candidates push EU to rethink membership.
BALKAN BLOG: Great powers’ competing agendas for the Western Balkans
EU sidelined as Washington warns over China and Russia's influence in new strategy document, while Xi Jinping honours Serbia’s president in Beijing.
US signals shift from nation building to economic engagement in Western Balkans
State Department report highlights “partnership-based” policy in Western Balkans, while flagging Russian and Chinese influence.
Western Balkans face rising trade barriers despite deeper EU integration, Bruegel says
Businesses operating in the Western Balkans say the practical costs of accessing EU markets remain high.
Tensions rise in northern Kosovo ahead of snap parliamentary elections
Kosovo authorities detained several officials in the Serb-majority municipality of Gračanica, triggering protests.
Kosovo begins construction of first ammunition factory
Factory producing 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm calibre ammunition is expected to become operational by end-2026.
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Kosovo’s latest election cycle deepens fears over instability and drift away from EU
Third snap election since 2025 extends cycle of instability that has paralysed institutions, delayed reforms and raised concerns in Brussels over the Western Balkan country's European future.
Kosovo’s annual inflation rises to 7.5% in April
Annual increase mainly driven by higher prices in transport, which surged by 16.1%.
Iran-linked shock’s impact on Emerging Europe seen milder than 2022 crisis, says wiiw economist
Severity of current shock in Emerging Europe linked to Iran war unlikely to match the 2022 crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Kosovo sets June 7 snap election date, third vote since February 2025
Failure to elect new president pushes Kosovo to general election, prolonging political deadlock.
Why global population collapse will keep the wars coming
Demographers warned for decades that ageing, declining states grow more dangerous, not less. The wars now spreading from Eastern Europe to the Gulf to East Asia look increasingly like the opening engagements of a long contest over who outlasts whom.
Emerging Europe weathers Iran war shock, but risks mount, wiiw says
Higher energy prices, weaker trade and geopolitical uncertainty weigh on the region’s outlook, according to new forecasts from the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies.
Middle East war shakes tourism in the Western Balkans
From canceled travel arrangements to a decline in bookings, events in the Middle East are impacting the Western Balkan tourism sector, industry representatives tell IntelliNews.
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NGOs urge Western Balkans to avoid ‘gas lock-in’
47 civil society organisations call on Western Balkan governments to abandon plans for new gas infrastructure, warning the region risks becoming locked into costly fossil fuel dependence.