- Ruling Socialist Party wins parliamentary election in Albania
On May 11, parliamentary elections were held in Albania, with over 3.7 million voters taking part. For the first time, the diaspora, nearly 245,000 Albanian nationals living abroad, saw their representatives make it to parliament.
The Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has been in power since 2013, won again. The Socialists gained more than 733,000, or over 52%, of the votes. Abroad, the ruling party was backed by more than 54% of citizens who cast their ballots.
The main opposition force, a coalition led by the Democratic Party of former Prime Minister and ex-President Sali Berisha, received 34%. Abroad, the opposition saw support of 28% of voters.
According to tentative results, the Socialist Party may receive some 83 of the 140 seats in parliament. The coalition around the Democratic Party could gain 50.
Prime Minister and leader of the Socialist Party Edi Rama issued a speech on the evening of May 14, speaking from a square in the center of Tirana. He thanked the Albanians and emphasized that in fact a “referendum for choosing Europe” had taken place.
The main line of the Socialist Party’s campaign was accession to the European Union by 2030.
The opposition accused the authorities of electoral fraud. The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, dismissed the results of the parliamentary elections on May 11 as a “robbery” rather than his rivals’ victory.
However, according to preliminary conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, the elections were generally inclusive and transparent, and the polling day was calm and well-organized despite a few shortcomings. This was announced in a joint statement by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas and the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.
- Vučić’s trip to Moscow provokes restrained reaction from EU
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić took part in the Victory Day celebrations on May 9 in Moscow where he also held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The key issue at the meeting, with the participation of delegations from both countries, was the supply of Russian gas to Serbia. The existing gas contract expires on May 31, and after talks with Putin in the Kremlin, Vučić expressed his belief Serbia would provide favorable conditions for the extension of the contract for the coming years.
In addition, Vučić and Putin discussed the “Oil Industry of Serbia” (NIS), which is set to fall under U.S. sanctions due to its Russian ownership, as well as, according to the Serbian leader, “global geopolitical developments” and “the situation of the Western Balkans region.”
As is known, European Union officials warned leaders of candidate countries against attending the May 9 celebrations in Moscow but the Serbian president apparently ignored those calls.
Apart from Vučić, the only two state leaders from Europe who attended the parade in the Russian capital were Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, and Željko Cvijanović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Also visiting Moscow were the President of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Milorad Dodik, and the Speaker of the RS National Assembly, Nenad Stevandić, for whom a Bosnian court issued an arrest warrant for violating the BiH constitutional order.
In response to Vučić’s visit to Moscow, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) political group in the European Parliament called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos to take immediate action. Cooperation with Vladimir Putin is detrimental to Serbia, the region, and the entire enlargement process, they stated on social media.
The European Parliament rapporteur on Kosovo, a member of the European People’s Party (EPP) group, Riho Terras, wrote on X that he and his fellow lawmakers were collecting signatures for a petition calling on European Council President António Costa to cancel his visit to Belgrade scheduled for May 13. Vučić’s presence at Putin’s military parade contradicts EU values and demonstrates support for genocide against Ukraine, Terras stressed, posting the text of the petition.
However, the President of the European Council did visit Belgrade where he met with Serbia’s leadership. During the meeting, Costa discussed with Vučić the steps that Belgrade needs to take for further progress on its path to the EU. The President of the European Council recalled that, in addition to strengthening media freedom, fighting corruption, reforming electoral legislation, and pursuing effective dialogue with Pristina, a condition for Serbia’s European integration is its full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, the key element of which is a clear condemnation of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and support for Ukraine in achieving a just and lasting peace.
Commenting on Costa’s visit, Terras labeled it a diplomatic failure. “Despite the opposition of MEPs from 14 different member states, Costa still decided to meet with Kremlin’s best buddy President Vučić. The EU can’t allow these kinds of diplomatic failures!” he wrote on X.
According to experts, the restrained position on the part of the EU is aimed at keeping Serbia in the EU orbit no matter what. At the same time, such a “condescending” policy by Brussels may contribute to Belgrade’s further rapprochement with Moscow and the actual distancing of Serbia from the EU, despite the statements coming from the Serbian leadership about their alleged commitment to the European integration process.
- Lithuania sanctions Republika Srpska leadership
The Lithuanian government has imposed sanctions against President of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Milorad Dodik, Speaker of the RS National Assembly Nenad Stevandić and RS Prime Minister Radovan Višković for violating the BiH constitutional order.
Sanctions include an entry and transit ban until April 18, 2030.
Thus, Lithuania joined the UK, Austria, Germany, and the US, which have already hit individual RS leaders with a set of restrictions.
Poland has also launched the process of imposing sanctions against the President of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
It is assumed that the restrictions, among other things, will not allow RS leaders to travel to Russia through the territories of the relevant countries.
- EUFOR not allowed to be involved in detaining RS leaders
On May 14, the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska (NSRS) supported the veto issued by the President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the representative of the Serbs, Zeljka Cvijanovic, on the resolution of the May 12 meeting of the BiH Presidency. In that resolution, two other members of the BiH Presidency, Denis Becirovic and Zeljko Komsic, appealed to the EU military mission in BiH, EUFOR, to assist in arresting the leaders of Republika Srpska.
In the memo for the veto filed with the RS National Assembly, Cvijanovic states that the resolution of the BiH Presidency is “destructive for the vital interests” of Republika Srpska, and that the BiH Presidency has gone “beyond its constitutionally established competences”. In her address to the deputies, Cvijanovic stated that the “controversial resolution” aims to “involve international military forces in resolving the political and constitutional crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina in such a way that they deal with the legitimate leaders of RS”. “EUFOR, whose task is to supervise the military implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, has no authority to assist the security services in the manner envisaged by the controversial resolution,” Cvijanovic said.
As is known, in March, the Bosnian court issued arrest warrants for the President of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, the Speaker of the Republika Srpska National Assembly, Nenad Stevandic, and the Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska, Radovan Višković. The RS leaders are accused of violating the constitutional order of Bosnia after a series of controversial decisions adopted by the RS institutions.
Law enforcers of Bosnia and Herzegovina attempted to arrest Dodik in East Sarajevo, but saw no success as officials from the SIPA (State Investigation and Protection Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina) chose not to get into conflict with the Republika Srpska police, which provide security for the leadership of the Republika Srpska.
In another case, Višković managed to avoid arrest in the Brčko district, where his convoy changed its route to avoid being detained by local police.
The veto was voted for by 64 out of 69 deputies present, with five against. Thus, more than two-thirds of the 83 deputies who are members of the RS National Assembly supported the veto, which means that the resolution of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina shall not enter into force.
The veto was supported not only by the ruling coalition parties, but also by the leading opposition forces in the RS parliament, the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) and the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP). Without opposition’s support, the Republika Srpska parliament would not have been able to veto the resolution.
- North Macedonia joins initiative to establish tribunal for Russian crimes in Ukraine
North Macedonia has joined the initiative put forward by the European Union and its allies to establish a special court in The Hague to hold Russia’s top military and political leadership accountable for war crimes committed in Ukraine, becoming the only country from the Western Balkans region to participate in the meeting in Lviv, Ukraine, where the relevant decision was adopted.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of North Macedonia, Timco Mucunski, stressed that the country is part of the initiative, as it advocates respect for international public and humanitarian law. “We are doing this in full communication and coordination with all our strategic partners in the field of foreign policy. Why our country is becoming part of this process, and what our citizens should know, is that respect for public international law and international humanitarian law is one of the key and most important tools, especially for smaller countries like ours,” said Mucunski.
He stressed that as a state, North Macedonia fundamentally supports the initiative, as well as all initiatives aimed at strengthening public international law. “Politics can sometimes be stronger than law, but that does not mean that we as a state should not consistently stand by the principles we stand for,” said the Macedonian Foreign Minister.
In his opinion, time will tell whether this initiative will achieve its goals, but he assessed it as a real step that needs to be taken in the current geopolitical context.
In total, the Coalition of States for the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (Core Group) includes four dozen states.
The “Lviv Statement” passed at the meeting on May 9 became the first high-level political decision on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The tribunal will be formalized within the framework of the Council of Europe and based in The Hague.
- Croatia, Poland strengthening defense cooperation
The development of bilateral military cooperation was on the agenda of negotiations between the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Poland, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Croatia, Ivan Anušić, in Warsaw on May 8.
“We need more economic cooperation, especially in the arms sector,” the Polish minister stressed. “We think of threats and countering them in a similar way. We know we must respond to threats with unity, cooperation and simplification of procedures. In the coming weeks, we will focus on strengthening economic cooperation in the field of defense enterprises,” Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized. “We want cooperation between our defense industries, exchange of experience on military equipment – HIMARS, Bayraktar,” he added.
The Polish Defense Minister stressed the importance of joint actions within NATO and strengthening the eastern wing of the Alliance. “Croatian soldiers are already in Poland, and their presence will grow. We know how to respond to threats from Russia,” he stressed. “We must be united and ready.”
“We know that we need to strengthen our cooperation. …One of our responsibilities is to prepare for threats. We must be ready to deter. Poland and Croatia understand each other very well, as they have similar experience. And we will further use this experience and develop cooperation for the sake of security,” said the Croatian Minister of Defense.
It was announced that a return visit of the Polish Minister to Croatia would be organized within the next two months, where a letter of intent would be signed, which would take bilateral cooperation to a new level in order to strengthen the defense capabilities of both countries in the context of current security challenges in Eastern Europe. “In Zagreb, we will sign a letter of intent and start cooperation at the highest level – in the field of security, defense, and armaments. We must take the threats coming from the east seriously and prepare together,” said Minister Anušić.
The cooperation between Croatia and Poland in the military area complements the previously established economic interaction within the framework of the Three Seas Initiative.
- Scandal around General Staff building in Belgrade
The acting director of the Republican Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia, Goran Vasic, was detained on suspicion of falsifying a document based on which the government stripped the building of the General Staff of the Army of Serbia and Montenegro and the Ministry of Defense in central Belgrade, which were destroyed during the NATO operation in 1999, of its cultural heritage status.
“On May 12, 2025, law enforcers raided the Republican Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, after which Goran Vasic was detained and brought for questioning as a suspect to the General Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime,” the official statement said.
In Belgrade, the scandal over the General Staff buildings is linked to plans by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, to build a luxury hotel and business complex on the site of the General Staff ruins. The cancellation of the cultural heritage status removed the last remaining obstacle to the demolition of the buildings and the launch of construction.
Following the arrest of the acting director of the Institute for the Protection of Monuments, Affinity Partners, a company owned by Jared Kushner, told U.S. media it had played no role in reviewing the cultural status of the object in Belgrade. “Today we learned from media reports that a former Serbian government official with no connection to our firm allegedly falsified documents related to the landmark designation of the Belgrade Square project,” the statement said. They added that they would “review this matter and determine next steps.” The company noted that work has not yet begun and the fate of the project is currently uncertain.
The row initially erupted after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić failed to meet with either President Trump or senior American officials during his trip to the United States.
