Balkan

From political protests to rising inflation and living costs, a new war in Europe and milestones in European Union integration processes, BIRN has selected ...

The government then issued a decision to ban the march, citing threats from right-wing extremist groups and fears of clashes. The crisis erupted after months of tensions over Kosovo’s decision to stop recognising Serbian-issued vehicle plates and after Serb representatives staged a mass resignation from Kosovo institutions at the beginning of November. In the first months of 2022 and last months of 2021 citizens, organised by civil society and supported by opposition parties, took to the streets to protest against price rises. Prime Minister, Edi Rama blamed the war in Ukraine for the rise in prices and declared that the government cannot interfere in the market. Kosovo Police announced on December 29 that the important Merdare border crossing point with Serbia had reopened, after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced the evening before that barricades set up at six locations in the north of Kosovo 20 days earlier will be removed. Protesters called the rising oil and gas prices “absurd” and “unbearable”. Despite calls by watchdogs, the government has never revealed the precise costs of the first section. On July 13, Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic and President Milo Djukanovic opened the first section of the Bar-Boljare highway, seven years after the Chinese-financed project started and drove up Montenegro’s public debt to 90.85 per cent of GDP. It was the year of surveillance for Greece, when the secret services monitored journalists, politicians and civil society activists. In contrast, pro-Ukraine marches took place in the first half of 2022 and Ukrainian refugees were welcomed by activists amid a slow, disorganised state response. The scandal continues to concern the press but not so much the government and justice system, which is a blow to Greek democracy. It gained this status after the pro-European government in Chisinau signed an application for membership of the EU on March 3, 2022.