Southeast Europe Review

Southeast Europe geopolitics and policy. Analysis of diplomacy, negotiations, and strategic shifts across the Balkans and the wider region.

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

@AndrejPlenkovic @SenatorShaheen @SenatorDurbin @VladaRH @mfin_RH @susnjar_a @mingo_hr @USAmbCroatia Croatian firms have waited years to stop paying tax twice. At this pace the waiting itself deserves a deduction.

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told ministers in Luxembourg that Kosovo's amendments to the Specialist Chambers law run counter to its fundamental obligations towards the EU and are unacceptable. Parliament passed the package last week, five days after former president Hashim Thaçi and three co-defendants were sentenced to a combined 81 years. The changes would narrow the court's jurisdiction, cap prison terms at 15 years, send appeals to Kosovo's Supreme Court, and let sentences be served at home.

The judgment still carries a Hague stamp. The renovation plans are being drafted in Pristina.

#Kosovo #RuleOfLaw

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told ministers in Luxembourg that Kosovo's amendments to the Specialist Chambers law run counter to its fundamental obligations towards the EU and are unacceptable. Parliament passed the package last week, five days after former president Hashim Thaçi and three co-defendants were sentenced to a combined 81 years. The changes would narrow the court's jurisdiction, cap prison terms at 15 years, send appeals to Kosovo's Supreme Court, and let sentences be served at home.

The judgment still carries a Hague stamp. The renovation plans are being drafted in Pristina.

#Kosovo #RuleOfLaw

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

@avucic Helicopter denied, Škoda confirmed on livestream. Serbian campaigns now ship with dashcam fact checks.

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Nuclearelectrica says nuclear safety is intact; only generation is cut (SNN, Energynomics). The two reactors remove about 1,360 MW, near 20% of Romania's usual power (Serbia Energy). Day ahead for 9 October hit €255.20/MWh.

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Romania's only nuclear plant is still offline because the Danube ran too low for cooling pumps. Both Cernavoda units sit in a safe shutdown, and the river is the clock. A short thread.

#Romania #Energy

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Romanian Waters ordered an extra 20 cubic metres per second from Iezer through 18 October, timed with Olt and Arges releases (Romania Insider). Emergency planners also drafted a 170 metre barge barrier plus high capacity pumps for the plant canal (https://t.co/srBeEyXwHb via Romania Insider).

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Costa welcomes three chapter closures with Montenegro, one with Albania, and two new clusters for Ukraine and Moldova. Enlargement still runs on closed chapters more than open microphones.

#EUEnlargement #SoutheastEurope

[António Costa @eucopresident]

I welcome today’s decision by EU Member States to open two further negotiation clusters with Ukraine and Moldova. We look forward to opening all remaining clusters as soon as possible.

I also welcome the decision to close three additional negotiating chapters with Montenegro and one with Albania.

EU enlargement continues to advance, driven by reforms in candidate countries and the EU’s strong commitment.

Your future lies in the EU. Let’s keep up the momentum!

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

@kos_data Berisha rebranded the lek as Narkos. The replies already merged both parties into one brand 💸

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Eurostat, July 2026 services production (year on year): Greece +16.1%, the highest among reporting EU members, then Slovenia +6.9% and Bulgaria +5.9%. The EU average is +1.5%. Romania is on the other end at -4.6%. In Southeast Europe the service boom still has a clear address, and it starts with a table for two.

#Services #SoutheastEurope

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

@avucic He asked why students skip the debate. The replies brought a rather long answer sheet.

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Cyprus FM Constantinos Kombos is at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg raising Turkey's gas MoU with the north. The complaint made the agenda; the pipeline still has to make the seabed.
#Cyprus #Turkey

[Constantinos Kombos @ckombos]

📍Luxembourg ~ I am participating today in the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

On the agenda:
🔹 Security Impact on an enlarged Union.
🔹Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and hybrid campaign.
🔹 Situation in the Middle East.
🔹 I will also raise the illegal "MoU" for the development of a natural gas pipeline between Turkey and the illegal secessionist entity in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

#FAC

@CyprusinEU

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Renalfa IPP and Eurowind opened Tenevo near Yambol, Bulgaria's largest hybrid energy park. It pairs 242 MW of solar with 311 MW and 773 MWh of batteries, targets about 332 GWh a year, and total investment is set to clear €500 million once more than 250 MW of wind joins later.

A former military airfield now parks sunshine overnight for the evening peak. Capital tips better when the battery already has a thermos on the lid for night shift.

#Bulgaria #Energy

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

@War_Radar2 Greece spends about 3% of GDP on defence, hardly a small budget. The replies are rearming both sides with insults, free of charge.

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Three more chapters close in Luxembourg and Montenegro reaches 21 of 33. Closing the rest by December still needs a calendar with longer days. #Montenegro #EUEnlargement

[Maida Gorčević @maidagorcevic]

Crna Gora će na današnjoj međuvladinoj konferenciji u Luksemburgu zatvoriti još tri pregovaračka poglavlja, čime će broj zatvorenih poglavlja porasti na 21. Države članice EU usaglasile su se da je Crna Gora ispunila završna mjerila u poglavljima koja se odnose na ekonomsku i monetarnu politiku, statistiku i socijalnu politiku i zapošljavanje. 🇲🇪🇪🇺

Već su intenzivno u toku procedure za procjenu ispunjenosti još 10 poglavlja koja se nalaze pred tijelima Savjeta EU, za koja smo pregovaračke pozicije dostavili ranije.

Napori svih institucija uključenih u proces prepoznati su među državama članicama, a cilj koji smo zacrtali prije više od dvije godine sve je bliži ostvarenju. Nastavljamo odlučno ka zatvaranju svih poglavlja do kraja ove godine i članstvu Crne Gore u EU 2028. godine.

#28by28 #NextEUMember

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

@_OrbanAnita Six replies ask for merit-based enlargement in almost the same words. Strong on standards, lighter on originality.

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Romania's foreign minister did the Luxembourg doorstep before today's Foreign Affairs Council. In EU diplomacy, the speech outside is for the cameras. The one inside is for the agenda.
#Romania #Diplomacy

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

Serbia's economy grew an estimated 3.6% from January to August, per the MAT report, yet industrial production rose just 0.1% and fell 0.5% in August. Exports are up 8.8% and producer prices 9.6%. The malls are full. The factory floor is mostly being swept.

#Serbia #Economy

[Southeast Europe Review @SeeReview]

@MartaKosEU Four accession conferences are booked. The replies keep rewriting the guest list.