Eastern Europe Top 10 March 17

Compiled by Hristo Voynov and Eva Jovanova

 

1. Following the death of Sergei Skripal, a Russian general turned British spy, Britain has decided to expel 23 Russian diplomats that it claims are actually unregistered intelligence agents, as well as possibly freezing Russian assets within the UK. Certain high profile UK citizens will also boycott the 2018 World Cup in Russia, most notably the royal family. Russia’s response is promised retaliation, claiming that there was no direct evidence presented that suggests that it was behind the events and the UK’s actions undermine communication and cooperation between the two nations. In an unrelated event, a former Moldovan MP was just sentenced to 14 years in prison over espionage for Russia.

 

2. Montenegro Former President and Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic, announced his candidature in the upcoming presidential election on April 15. Djukanovic is the longtime leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which has been in power since 1991. He has so far served six terms as a prime minister and one term as Montenegro’s President, and has twice claimed he had retired from politics.

 

3. What started as the murder of a journalist and his girlfriend in Slovakia has resulted in the change of the Slovakian government. First, it was revealed that members of the government were warned by the Slovakian intelligence community regarding Italian organized crime, but decided to ignore the warnings. This was followed by the largest protests in the country since the Velvet Revolution. The Interior Minister, Róbert Kaliňák, declared his resignation, and this was not enough to satisfy the protesters. PM Robert Fico has agreed to resign as well, though it seems that the protests are not calling for a change in government, but for accountability and justice for the murders.

 

4. Serbia’s security agreement with Russia is starting to cause controversies. The agreement was signed in May 2017, but it still the Serbian Parliament’s approval. The agreement focuses on cooperation in the fields of people under police protection, facilities, and cybersecurity and cooperation, however, the vagueness of some terms such as “neutralization of computer attacks on state resources” causes provocation. Some Serbian opposition MPs see the agreement as an infringement in Serbian sovereignty.

 

5. The early voting in the Russian presidential elections started, leading up to the 18th when Russian citizens in Russia will vote. Security is high, with 17,000 security personnel planned for Moscow alone. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also asked Kiev to ensure the safety and ability of Russian nationals within Ukraine to vote, implying knowledge of a possible threat from Ukrainian nationalists. Putin is expected to sail through an easy victory in the elections, which include 7 other candidates including the ultranationalist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Ksenia Sobchak, dubbed “the Paris Hilton of Russia”. Alexei Navalny, one of the more controversial opposition figures, will not be on the ballot, which may result in a write-in campaign by his supporters.

 

6. In Macedonia, the language law that would expand the use of Albanian sparks controversies both within the country and in the neighborhood. Whereas neighboring Albania and Kosovo greeted the adoption of the law, public opinion, especially among ethnic Macedonians, remains divided. Among the opponents of the language law is the Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov who refused to sign the bill. There is an ongoing debate on the constitutionality of the law, however, the tensions are high, as the car of an SDSM MP who was a proponent of the law was set on fire.

 

7. As President Zeman launches his second term in office, the leadership of the Czechian government is on uncertain terms. He used his inauguration speech to attack Czech Television and the TOP 09, sparking a walkout and opposition to his attacks by some members of parliament, while getting much applause from others. Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s efforts to form a ruling coalition are continuing their rocky road. The Communist Party has questioned the ability of Babis’ ANO party to make due on its promises to coalition partners, while the ANO party is busy courting support from the Civic Democrats. With both the President and PM having trouble uniting the country, they do have the benefit of being on friendly terms with one another, which has kept their uneasy era more stable then it could have been under other conditions.

 

8. Slovenia sent a complaint to the European Commission, asking it to intervene in the sea dispute between Slovenia and Croatia. Slovenia claims that Croatia has refused to abide by the June 2017 ruling by the Permanent Arbitration Court in Hague, which ruled in Slovenia’s favor. The relations between the two neighboring EU members have deteriorated since the court’s ruling. According to EU law, the EC now has three months to respond to Slovenia’s complaint.  On a separate occasion, the EC issued a report earlier this week, emphasizing the need for reforms, so that Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania could achieve sustainable economic growth.

 

9. The elections in Hungary are soon approaching on April 8th, with Jobbik and FIDESZ appearing to have the strongest position at the moment. Jobbik’s leader Gabor Vona is trying to convince the population to vote, as he believes that unseating FIDESZ can only happen if enough people who would normally sit out decide to vote. Meanwhile, Viktor Orban’s Deputy Prime Minister, Zsolt Semjén, who is the leader of FIDESZ’s coalition partner, the Christian Democratic People’s Party, has been caught in a scandal over luxurious taxpayer-funded hunting trips and helicopter rides, which may hurt the two parties in the polls. However, FIDESZ has been pushing its successes over the last few years, from economic improvements to defending Hungary from the Soros plan, and judging by FIDESZ’ poll numbers, this is a message the Hungarian people like.

 

10. The Kosovo Special Prosecutor took over the case of Oliver Ivanovic, the Serb politician who was assassinated in January in the northern Serb-majority part of Kosovo. So far, there have been no arrests. This week, a symbolic move that might hint at a possible future reconciliation between Serbia and Kosovo was made. The work on the Ibar Bridge dividing the northern and southern part of Kosovo Mitrovica has restarted.  

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