In the heat of protests
Molotov cocktails, catastrophic floods, muzzles in the EU Parliament, and secret treasures.
Hey everyone,
Welcome back to Balkan Brew, your weekly blend of the most important Balkan news coming every Friday morning in your inbox.
This week saw riots in Albania, crazy MEPs, kamikaze drones and some quite cringe dance moves. Before we dive in, a message from us.
Last Friday, devastating floods hit Bosnia and Herzegovina killing at least 23 people. Newsletters become old the moment you hit send, and this was one of those cases - the news started spreading in local media around the time we sent last week’s issue. Today we take a closer look at what happened and how you can help.
GIVE US A HAND. After a few weeks, today we are officially launching Balkan Brew. We need your help: support us by forwarding the newsletter to anyone who might be interested! And if you’ve just received it, you can subscribe here 👇
In the heat of protests
The Albanian opposition Democratic Party doesn’t take protests lightly. On October 7, the party called for a protest that stopped Tirana for hours (and created a life-long memory for the woman who gave birth in traffic), demanding a technocratic caretaker cabinet replace the government. The crowd hurled molotov cocktails at the prime minister’s office, the governing Socialist Party headquarters, the Interior Ministry, and the Tirana municipality building before the police dispersed it.
A MATTER OF JUSTICE. The protest originated from the jailing of Democratic Party’s MP Ervin Salianji who was given a 12-month prison sentence for slander. The decision was seen as politically motivated by the DP which has accused Rama of corruption and usurping powers of the judiciary.
IN A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP. The Albanian Democratic Party doesn’t have a particularly clean record with the judiciary. Its founder and chairman Sali Berisha, former President and Prime Minister of Albania, is currently under house arrest on charges of corruption. As expected, he has dismissed these charges as political retribution.
We get it, it’s not easy to wrap our heads around these back-and-forth accusations. If you have 3 minutes, you can head on to Substack and listen to the comment by Fjori Sinoruka, Albanian correspondent for Balkan Insight 👇
Flash floods, slow politics
The floods that hit several villages in central Bosnia and Herzegovina last week killed at least 23 people. Many individuals are still missing and the extent of the damage to infrastructures is unclear. Dramatic videos and pictures circulating on social media have prompted a wave of solidarity, resulting in a record donation of more than 2 million euros to the non-profit organization Pomozi.ba. If you wish to donate, here’s the link.
THE HUMAN FACTOR. After reporting the tragedy, the media began investigating what went wrong. The Prosecutor's Office of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton has initiated an investigation into a quarry in Donja Jablanica that collapsed onto the village. According to Nermin Nikšić, Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the company operated without the necessary permits.
THE USUAL SUSPECT. Bosnia and Herzegovina isn’t the only country affected by floods. Areas of Croatia and Montenegro also flooded around the same time. Greece and Slovenia are still recovering from last year's floods. Governments in the region should better prepare: this is what climate change brings us. According to UNESCO's 2023 findings, precipitation in extreme rainfall days is predicted to increase by 31% in Serbia over the next 25 years - a trend that is likely similar in neighboring countries.
Muzzles in the EU Parliament
The Constitutional Court of Romania removed Diana Șoșoacă, a far-right Romanian member of the European Parliament (MEP), from the list of candidates for the November presidential elections, stating that she does not respect the values inscribed in the Romanian Constitution. Șoșoacă accused the EU, Jewish people, Americans, and the French of plotting against her with the help of the court. OK.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE POLITICIAN. In a speech in February last year, Șoșoacă accused the USA of causing the 2023 earthquake in Turkey using a “seismic weapon”. On her very first day serving as MEP, she called on the Parliament to be purified by a priest and wore a muzzle to protest Ursula Von Der Leyen's opening speech.
RIGHTS ARE FOR EVERYONE. While criticizing her rhetoric, some of her political opponents sided with her against the court’s decision. “This reckless politician should not be stopped using Putin-style methods,” Romanian Renew MEP Eugen Tomac told Politico in a statement.
IN OTHER NEWS
Political analyst Adi Ćergimagić guides you through the results of the local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina in a handy tweet.
The majority in the Serbian Parliament rejected the opposition’s proposal to ban lithium mining in the country.
We don’t really know how many kamikaze drones Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has promised Albanian PM Edi Rama.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s attendance at a solidarity summit in Dubrovnik was the perfect excuse for Balkan politicians to wage war on each other.
Politico published this long investigation which shows how the EU is helping Turkey to deport migrants to Syria and Afghanistan.
OUR BAD. Last week we mistakenly wrote that Bosnian politician Fikret Abdić served 12 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Abdić was found guilty by a Croatian court in 2002 and was released in 2012. We apologize for the mistake.
DANCE TO EXPRESS, NOT TO IMPRESS. In an attempt to prevent Kenya from recognizing Kosovo’s independence, Serbia sent First Lady Tamara Vučić on an official visit to Nairobi. While there, she danced and danced and danced. Her efforts were filmed for all of us to appreciate.
ANY PLANS FOR THE WEEKEND? Botoșani County, located in northeastern Romania, is a rare archaeological paradise that rewards explorers with frequent discoveries of historical artifacts. Last Sunday, Marian Alecu and Adi Dănilă unearthed around 60 silver Macedonian drachmas dating back 2,300 years. It might be a good idea to go and try your luck!
This is all for this issue. Let us know your comments, ideas, and any news we might have missed. Again, support our project by forwarding this newsletter and signing up.
Take care out there, see you next week
BB