Earlier this month, a piece of good news rippled through Southeast Europe: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Moldova were admitted to the operations system of Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the network that lets a transfer in Tirana zip to T…
Paris has emerged as a top target of Moscow’s hybrid war.
Euronews’ EU Enlargement Summit will bring together Moldovaโs President Maia Sandu, Serbian President Aleksandar Vuฤiฤ, and the prime ministers of Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia together with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.
The idea is seen as unblocking enlargement because countries like Ukraine might be allowed to join before the EU overhauls the way it works.
Albania, Moldova, Montenegro and North Macedonia joined the Single Euro Payments Area or SEPA, enabling quicker and cheaper financial transactions across the EU.
British team sent to develop new ways of working with Frontex, the EUโs border agencyBritish border security officers have been deployed to the Balkans for the first time in an effort to disrupt the networks smuggling migrants into the UK.Officers have…
Home secretary to tell meeting of interior ministers that international cooperation is way to curb irregular migrationThe failure to bring order to European borders is eroding trust in politicians and the concept of nation states, Shabana Mahmood will …
A gathering in Northern Ireland is an opportunity for the government to find a new avenue for dealing with its most pressing problem.
Brussels presents enlargement as proof of Europeโs transformative power, yet its failure to deliver undermines that very promise. The EU cannot credibly preach democracy, rule of law, and resilience abroad while tolerating stagnation in its own neighbo…
Other European leaders may disagree with Hungary, but several support his right to veto EU membership bids at every step.
In Cyprus, an early warning system failed and an evacuation plan confused locals. The government’s struggles are emblematic of a wider problem across many countries.
Readers lose out when English-speaking gatekeepers decide what books are sold and whose stories get toldI attended an American writersโ conference in Texas, just before the world plunged into Covid-19 lockdowns. Between panels and networking, I spent m…
Also in this newsletter: North Macedonia makes tentative progress on EU accession journey
North Macedonia is a strategically important country in the Western Balkans, which was granted EU candidate status nearly 20 years ago, alongside Croatia. But while Croatia has now long been a member of the EU, North Macedonia is still waiting. We loo…
Meloni’s deputy prime ministers are keen to class the bridge as a NATO-related project. But does it really mesh with Europe’s military goals?
A POLITICO analysis reveals telling gaps between the big spenders near Eastern Europe and those further from Russia, who are still creeping toward a decade-old target.
The EU foreign policy chief expressed strong support for North Macedonia’s EU integration on Friday, praising its progress and urging continued reforms amid geopolitical tensions.
Germany was the only EU state to appoint a special representative for the region, but will now abolish it, Euractiv has learned.ย
TikTok trend is inspiring tourists to seek out cheaper locations such as Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina It will take more than a TikTok trend to break Britonsโ love affair with Mediterranean beaches. But latest figures show travellers are increa…
Steve Peers, Professor of Law, Royal Holloway University
of London
Photo credit: Andre Engels, via Wikimedia Commons
The EUโs asylum pact was adopted less
a year ago, and mostly wonโt apply for over another year โ and yet the EU Commission
has …
The latest news from across Europe, all in one place
As Europe harshens migration rules, nearly 34,000 fewer people attempted to enter the EU illegally in the first three months of 2025 compared to 2024.
North Macedonia is prioritising its partnership with the United States while continuing to seek EU membership, foreign affairs minister Timฤo Mucunski tells Euronews’ The Europe Conversation.
Some 59 people died in the blaze at Pulse nightclub, which officials say had an illegal licence.
Bloc aims to build up military-industrial complex to deter Russia and brace for the U.S. shift away from Europe.
Demonstrators call for change and justice for 59 victims after tragedy blamed on multiple safety violationsWith flags still flying at half mast in North Macedonia, grief over a fire that tore through a nightclub killing dozens of people turned to anger…
People in Kocani blame corruption after 59 people – many of them teenagers – died in a nightclub inferno.
A survivor of a massive fire that tore through a nightclub in North Macedonia recounted the panic that ensued as people tried to escape. โI barely stayed alive and could barely breathe. I got out at the end, but I lost my sister,โ 19 year-old Marija Ta…
Survivors and relatives of those who died in a fire in North Macedonia speak of their grief.
Government declares seven-day period of mourning after fire in eastern town of Koฤani kills at least 59North Macedonia has declared a seven-day period of mourning after a fire in a nightclub that left at least 59 dead and scores injured, as authorities…
At least 59 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in a massive fire that broke out in a nightclub in the town of Koฤani in eastern North Macedonia. The blaze at Pulse nightclub began at about 2.35am on Sunday morning during a concert by a l…
Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the fire, which broke out early Sunday morning.
More than 150 people injured after blaze broke out in the early hours at Pulse club in town 60 miles from SkopjeAt least 59 killed in North Macedonia nightclub fireNorth Macedoniaโs public prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski has said five prosecutors would inve…
Interior minister says blaze at pop concert in eastern town of Koฤani probably caused by pyrotechnicsFifty-nine people have been killed and more than 100 injured in a fire that broke out in a nightclub in North Macedonia early on Sunday.The blaze in th…
Vaccination rates plunged during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The latest news from across Europe, all in one place
Including the Bulgarian minority in North Macedoniaโs constitution is a condition for starting EU negotiations.
Former British ambassador in Washington will help lead a summit this fall tackling illegal migration.
Poland’s foreign ministry calls the Hungarian government’s decision a “hostile” step and an “insult” to Polish authorities.
“It’s clear that CFSP alignment is becoming more important,” a senior EU official said.
The post EU leaders to pledge closer ties with Western Balkans counterparts appeared first on Euractiv.
SLAPPs — or strategic lawsuits against public participation — are being increasingly used by the rich and powerful to bully and silence journalists, activists and NGOs.
The post Balkan journalists battle deluge of SLAPP lawsuits appeared first on Eur…
The decision by Bern Convention members is a major win for the EU and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Rescue operation under way, Zelenskyy says, after more than a dozen also wounded in Dnipropetrovsk region. What we know on day 1,012See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageA Russian missile strike on a town in Ukraineโs central Dnipropetrovsk region on …
The UK government says that almost 100,000 migrants from third countries transited through the Western Balkans last year, making it “a key route used by those who end up in the EU or UK illegally”.
Russia’s foreign minister is expected to travel to Malta for an OSCE meeting in December.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen kicked off a four-day trip to the Western Balkans, where she will meet with the leaders of Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Montenegro to discuss their progress tow…
In Lewis Packwoodโs book Curious Video Game Machines, Voja Antoniฤ explains how he built a console and published instructions for anyone to make their ownVery few Yugoslavians had access to computers in the early 1980s: they were mostly the preserve of…
Germany hopes to find ‘rational solutions’ with Bulgaria’s new government.
Join host Giada Santana and senior editor Alice Taylor in unpacking the start of Albania’s EU membership negotiations.
Salmond, who led Scotland from 2007 to 2014, reportedly took ill while in North Macedonia.
Professor Steve Peers, Royal Holloway University of London
Photo credit: Mstyslav Chernov, via Wikimedia
Commons
Hamster idiom credit: Adam Sharp
(Thanks to Zoe Gardner for discussion of the case;
the following analysis is my own)
Introduc…
EU ambassadors failed to approve the opening of the next chapter of EU accession talks with Skopje last week.
Orbรกn also offered to mediate with EU member Bulgaria, whose dispute with Skopje over Balkan history and heritage triggered the new delay.
In todayโs edition of the Capitals, find out more about the coalition of Prime Minister Robert Fico facing internal, parties in the Bulgarian parliament expressing satisfaction with Brussels’ decision to block North Macedonia’s EU accession, and so muc…
Both North Macedonia’s president and prime minister slammed stumbling blocks put in place by Brussels over a dispute with Bulgaria over Balkan history, language and culture.
The EU made the difficult decision on Wednesday (25 September) evening, to de-couple North Macedonia from Albania on their EU path and to start accession negotiations with Tirana, leaving Skopje behind.
Albania’s EU accession path will be decoupled from North Macedonia’s, with the first clusters of negotiation set to be formally opened on 15 October, according to a unanimous decision of Ambassadors of European Union member states on Wednesday (25 Sept…
Belgrade mayor wants Titoโs remains moved back to his native Croatia, triggering a debate hotter than a Balkan summer.
In todayโs edition of the Capitals, find out more about von der Leyen pledging billions for flood-stricken reigons, Borissov calling for North Macedonia’s deputy pm to resign, and so much more.ย
Boyko Borissov, leader of Bulgaria’s largest party, GERB, called for the resignation of Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Nikoloski over his comments about Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Bulgaria, further adding fuel to the ongoing โmissi…
Everything you need to know about Ursula von der Leyen’s team for her second term.
Youth brain drain is becoming a worrisome problem for the Western Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia.
PM’s choice of Apostolos Tzitzikostas could raise the temperature of simmering resentments between Greece and North Macedonia.
Two senior former officials from North Macedonia and Bulgaria are among those competing to become the incoming NATO chief’s deputy.
Ursula von der Leyen faces pressure from the south over climate adaptation plans.
The arrest comes as Kosovo faces an epidemic of counterfeit euro coins.
The country signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which will provide it with 26.4 million euros that should support the energy transition according to the Green Agenda.
The incident was โunprecedented,โ Vjosa Osmani’s spokesperson said.
The incident was โunprecedented,โ Vjosa Osmani’s spokesperson said.
China contacted lawmakers in a bid to pressure them to not attend a democracy summit on the island of Taiwan.
Firefighting crews from neighbouring Serbia, as well as Croatia and Slovenia, have joined to put out the blazes in an EU-coordinated effort after requests by North Macedonia.
Six people dead, thousands evacuated and transport disrupted after at least 20 floods in major rivers China has been experiencing heavy and widespread rainfall since the start of the rainy season, which runs from May to September. It has resulted in at…
Formerly sedate attempts at electricity market integration in South-Eastern Europe have been given a new dynamism amid a concrete EU perspective โ and a looming punitive CO2 duty.
In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about Bulgaria warning North Macedonia that it is straying further from its EU path, the Polish government saying it aims to revise EU green policies during its upcoming EU Council presidency, and so mu…
An Albanian player leads fans in chants against North Macedonia. Rival supporters unite to chant “Kill the Serbs”. A journalist from Kosovo receives death threats for an eagle gesture.
‘Kill the Serb!’ ‘F**k Macedonia!’ Violent chants and regional rivalries tarnish Europe’s summer football tournament.
North Macedonia’s lawmakers on Sunday (23 June) approved a new nationalist-dominated government of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, whose party won general elections in May banking on voters’ anger at the slow pace of European Union integration.
Greece warned on Friday (17 May) that North Macedonia’s reopening of a long-running name dispute could hurt its EU bid, hours after the incoming prime minister in Skopje rejected criticism from Athens.
North Macedonia’s newly elected president, hailing from the nationalist VMRO party, which won the parliamentary election this month, refused to use the country’s official name at her inauguration, setting it on a collision course with its neighbours an…
Violence and harassment against LGBTQ people in Europe have reached a “new high” in the past few years, according to a survey published Tuesday (14 May) by the European Union’s rights agency.
North Macedonia’s first woman president was inaugurated on Sunday (12 May), with the new nationalist leader angering Greece after a speech that did not acknowledge her country’s new name.
North Macedonia appeared to be on a collision course with its EU neighbours Greece and Bulgaria, as the nationalist opposition swept parliamentary and presidential elections on Wednesday (8 May).
North Macedonia appears set to be on a collision course with its EU neighbours Greece and Bulgaria with double-header elections Wednesday (8 May) poised to return the country’s nationalist opposition to power.
North Macedonia’s nationalist candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova claimed victory in the first round of presidential elections on Wednesday (24 April) — the first in a series of votes that could decide whether the Balkan country will join the EU.
North Macedonia heads to the polls Wednesday (24 April) for the first in a series of elections that could decide whether the diverse Balkan country will ever join the European Union.
The European Union is open to the idea of sending asylum-seekers to outside countries, even if it is not willing to go quite as far as following Britain and its plans to fly irregular migrants to Rwanda.
Brazil’s far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro stayed for two nights at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia last month, just days after federal police confiscated his passport and arrested two former aides on suspicion of plotting a coup, Bolsonaro’s…
Exclusive: footage of semi-naked men is evidence of increasing abuse during illegal pushbacks on Europeโs borders, say rights groupsVideos appearing to show groups of men stripped of their clothing in near-freezing temperatures and being forced back fr…
Gradual integration of EU candidate countries into the bloc’s structures is “not an alternative to membership” but the best way to keep enlargement on track and achieve faster results, Austria’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and his North Mac…
The world’s largest regional security group opened its Skopje summit Thursday (30 November) with Russia and Ukraine’s allies in open conflict, rattling the organisation created to overcome tensions during the Cold War.
Russia accused Bulgaria of malice and stupidity on Thursday (30 November) for refusing to allow Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s plane to fly through its airspace to attend a meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia.
International lenders including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank are backing a โฌ4-billion plan to wean North Macedonia off coal-fired power, the head of the EBRD told Reuters.
This week the Beyond the Byline podcast looks at Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s tour of the Western Balkans. The EU executive chief talked to leaders of Western Balkans countries to encourage their governments to continue their hard …
Roadmap for expansion suggests integrating countries such as Ukraine into sections of EU before negotiations are completeGermany has proposed a detailed and innovative roadmap to expand the EU that would give candidate countries such as Ukraine early b…
As part of its efforts to secure EU accession for the Western Balkans, the German government is sending for the first time an agricultural attachรฉ to the region to help it implement the often highly technical EU legislation in the field.
Continental choke point. Plus: inside the mind of Elon Musk Get the magazine delivered to your home addressThe Guardian launched its new Europe website last week with an exclusive investigation into the dangerous levels of air pollution being measured …
The lake of Prespa, two thirds of which belong to North Macedonia and the rest to Greece and Albania, has lost 7% of its surface area and half of its volume between 1984 and 2020, NASA has said.
The largest party representing North Macedonia’s ethnic Albanian minority offered to pull its ministers from the government to meet a demand from the opposition to clear the way for European Union membership talks.
