Germany Urges Swift EU Accession for Western Balkan Countries
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has issued a compelling call for the expedited integration of candidate countries from the Western Balkans into the European Union
Voters in Bosnia-Herzegovina are heading to the polls on Sunday in a period of growing social tensions, ethnic disputes and corruption thwarting any EU accession effort.
Nearly 3.3 million are eligible to vote as the country has to elect the three-member Presidency (consisting of a Croat, Muslim and Serb representatives) and the lawmakers to form a new national legislature.
In Republika Srpska, one of the country's two basic entities, citizens also have to cast a ballot to choose their President and Vice President.
Both the Republika Srpska (Serb-populated) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (a Muslim-Croat federation) have to elect their own regional Parliaments on Sunday as well.
As many as 65 political parties, 24 coalitions and 24 independent candidates are running to take over the leading positions in the country populated by 3.87 million people, with people in party lists numbering 7748, according to local media outlets.
The former Yugoslav republic was rocked by anti-government protests earlier this year, with thousands of disgruntled citizens venting their anger at the cabinet's failure to fight corruption and to pursue political and economic reform.
Members of the two entities, but representatives of the three ethnic groups composing the country as well, are unanimous that changes are needed to amend the constitution created for Bosnia with the Dayton peace agreement after the terrible war it went through in the 1990s.
However, no consensus has been reached on the essence of the most urgent reforms. Autonomy is mostly the single demand Croats have voiced so far, Muslims have pledged unity and Serbs have insisted that the country should be dissolved.
Floods that hit Southeast Europe in the summer of 2014 did not leave the country unaffected, with total damages estimated at EUR 2 B, or about 15% of GDP.
Forty-four percent of Bosnia's active population are unemployed.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
The presidential election landscape in North Macedonia is poised for a runoff between Gordana Siljanovska, representing VMRO-DPMNE, and Stevo Pendarovski, backed by SDSM
A damning report from the US State Department has unveiled a troubling reality of systematic racial and ethnic violence and discrimination against Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia
The debate surrounding the inclusion of Bulgarians in North Macedonia's constitution, a crucial precondition for the country's European Union accession talks, has taken center stage in the ongoing presidential campaign
Amid escalating tensions on its borders and a significant increase in the Ministry of National Defense budget, Romania is discreetly preparing for the reintroduction of compulsory military service
In a strategic move aimed at bolstering their defense capabilities, Romania and South Korea have embarked on negotiations for joint arms production, signaling a significant milestone in their bilateral relations
Romania is making strides toward joining the Visa Waiver Program, a significant milestone that would enable its citizens to travel to the United States visa-free for up to 90 days
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022