Weekly Brief

Albania
Rama’s Socialist Party (SP) lead a new poll, Facebook called for political advertisement transparency, and EU grant to COVID-19 vaccines purchase. A prestigious survey agency MRB estimated that SP would receive up to 48.4% of the vote, followed by the Democratic Party’s 38.3%. Facebook said that electoral and political ads must come from authorized advertisers and include “Paid for by” disclaimers. The EU will provide an 11 million euro ($13.1 million) grant to help the country purchase COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination equipment.

Bosnia-Herzegovina
Serb Presidency member Dodik wishes to abolish the Office of the High Representative (OHR), the Quint member states + EU strongly support the country’s sovereignty, and EU grant for Corridor Vc projects. Dodik stands against the OHR’s existence, overseeing the Dayton Peace Agreement’s implementation in the country. The Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, including the EU Special Representative, issued a joint statement condemning the Republika Srpska National Assembly’s Conclusions questioning the existence and authority of the High Representative. The EU granted an additional 20.7 million euro ($24.7 million) for the Corridor Vc construction.

Croatia
New Copyright Law diminishes journalist rights, country to join Med7, and oil and gas company INA is acquiring a 20% working interest in Egypt-base exploration. Journalists’ organizations complain that, according to the Law, an author’s copyrighted work will be transferred in total to a company and remain with the company after he/she stops working for the company. The country wants to join France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece, and Cyprus and participate in the Mediterranean countries’ dialogue. INA will explore the East Damanhour exploration block with German Wintershall DEA and Egyptian Cheiron.

Kosovo
The first peacekeeping mission for the country, witnesses still lack protection, and Foreign Minister Haradinaj-Stublla resigned. Kosovo has sent a military platoon to Kuwait under the U.S. Central Command’s National Guard of Iowa. The Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers prosecuting former Kosovo Liberation Army guerrillas for wartime and post-war crimes from 1998 to 2000 urged European diplomats to lobby for witnesses’ protection. Haradinaj-Stublla resigned as FM and quitted the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo.

Montenegro
Economic Freedom Index update, a new oil and gas exploratory drilling, and appeals to EU and NATO help in fighting COVID-19. Out of 178 countries, the country ranked 80th in the Economic Freedom Index with an overall economic freedom score of 63.4, which increased by 1.9 points due to improved fiscal health. A consortium of Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek is about to start four, six months offshore drilling, with the first well located 14 nautical miles offshore the coast. Foreign Minister Radulovic asked EU-NATO partners for more medical staff to help the overstretched health services dealing with 9,063 currently infected people.

North Macedonia
The country may introduce pro-EU constitutional amendments, the government adopted the “Europe At Home” Agenda, and the parliament majority remains stable. The government may introduce amendments recognizing the identity of all ethnic minorities based on data from the upcoming census. The adopted Agenda confirms the determination to implement EU standards and values to fight against corruption and organized crime and protect fundamental human rights. DUI’s leader Ahmeti said there is no intra-party disagreement and the parliamentary majority is stable, despite the acting parliamentary group’s coordinator Izet Mexhiti’s resignation.

Serbia
President Vucic is visiting UEA and Bahrain, the country plans to start manufacturing Sinopharm and Sputnik shots, and the country faces a decline in the level of democracy since 2010. Vucic discussed the development of political and economic cooperation between the counties. The government plans to start producing the Sputnik V vaccines in May and Sinopharm shots by mid-October. The Swedish V-Dem Institute ranked the country in 119th place out of 179 countries, making the country fifth among the top 10 autocratizing countries between 2010 and 2020.