Week in Review: Campaigns, Crackdowns and Clan Wars

Burning issue A burned-out house in Levan in the Fier area of Albania. Photo: LSA. Wildfires have blazed across the Balkans over the last couple of months amid another scorching summer. Around the Albanian coastal city of Himara, they forced evacuations, destroyed homes and olive groves. The Albanian government has identified the growing threat from wildfires as an expected consequence of climate change. But there’s a lack of readiness and coordination to confront the challenge, experts are warning. Read more: Wildfires Burn Thousands of Hectares, Exposing Albania’s Systemic Weaknesses (September 15, 2026) Putin’s playbook Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport, January 2019. Photo: EPA/MICHAEL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK Crucial elections are approaching in both Serbia and Bosnia next month – and Moscow is watching closely, hoping political forces that are sympathetic to Vladimir Putin will prevail. The Kremlin feels happier when dealing with ‘strongman’ leaders like Aleksandar Vucic or Milorad Dodik, so it’s stoking anti-Western nationalism in the hope of making its influence felt, writes Maksim Samorukov in his monthly Russian Despatch. Read more: Russian Despatch: Moscow Plays Old Cards in Balkan Elections (September 16, 2026) Unprecedented clampdown Pride March in Istanbul, June 2024. Photo: EPA/ERDEM SAHIN Police have raided organisations, homes and entertainment venues and websites have been taken down as the Turkish authorities launched one of the country’s toughest ever clampdowns on LGBTQ+ groups, claiming it was necessary to ‘safeguard the family’. Officials cited alleged obscenity and criminal activity, while financial authorities are examining foreign funding received by LGBTQ+ organisations. Rights campaigners that the conservative Islamist administration led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is persecuting a community without legal basis for such a crackdown. Read more: Turkey Stages Wide-Ranging LGBT Crackdown for ‘Family Safety’ (September 16, 2026) Populist politics Vote counters recount ballots for the president of Republika Srpska, October 2022. Photo: EPA/FEHIM DEMIR Voters go to the polls across Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 4, with the start of campaigning overshadowed by the death of Bosnian Serb genocide convict Ratko Mladic, who was glorified by Serb nationalists at his funeral. In an opinion piece for Balkan Insight, independent analyst Srecko Latal argues that the Mladic furore set the tone for the entire campaign – indicating that most politicians do not plan to change their self-serving nationalist and populist stances. Read more: Bosnia’s Elections Offer New Technologies, But Old Politics (September 17, 2026) Ownership anxieties Banners reading “The colour of truth doesn’t fade” and “No one is alone” at a protest in front of N1 TV’s offices after the dismissal of television director Igor Bozic, April 2026. Photo: BIRN Independently-minded broadcasters like N1 TV have long been a thorn in the side of Serbia’s government, as they are among the few outlets providing airtime and webpage space to voices critical of President Aleksandar Vucic and the ruling Progressive Party. With elections due in Serbia and the Progressive Party under unprecedented political pressure, fears have been raised that the recent change in ownership of N1 and associated media outlets could herald a more Vucic-friendly line – and further damage Serbia’s devastated media environment. Read more: Ownership Changes Unsettle Serbia’s Critical Media Ahead of Elections (September 17, 2026) Mafia menace The entrance to the Skaljari neighborhood in the coastal town of Kotor in Montenegro. Photo: BIRN/Samir Kajosevic. Montenegro is seen as the frontrunner in the Balkans for EU membership. Brussels has praised its progress – but is its deep-rooted problem with internecine gang violence being overlooked? In an opinion article for Balkan Insight, Branislav Radeljic argues that the issue must be addressed – but the Montenegrin authorities will find it hard to tackle the violent drug-trafficking clans who have become embedded across the region. Read more: EU Should Not Turn a Blind Eye to Montenegro’s Bloody Clan War (September 18, 2026) Forced offline Some of the memes produced by protesters displayed on Deshmoret e Kombit Boulevard in Tirana on the 100th day of the protests this month. Photo: LSA. During the ongoing ‘Flamingo Revolution’ protests in Albania’s capital Tirana, activists have faced Instagram account takedowns and online bullying. And while protesters have used AI-generated memes to promote their cause, their opponents have used AI to spread disinformation and false claims. The government denies any involvement, but digital rights experts fear that what appears to be a coordinated campaign could be used as a ‘toolkit’ for targeting dissent by authoritarian regimes. Read more: Instagram Takedowns and AI Deepfakes Target Albania’s ‘Flamingo’ Protesters (September 18, 2026) Contested court Supporters show solidarity with former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders after their trial verdict, in Pristina, 16 September 2026. Photo: BIRN/Antigone Isufi The Kosovo authorities set up the Kosovo Specialist Chambers war crimes court under powerful pressure from Western states. This week, the court convicted ex-President Hashim Thaci and four other wartime Kosovo Liberation Army leaders, sparking anger at home. In his opinion article for Balkan Insight, Aidan Hehir argues that because the court only prosecuted Kosovo Albanians who fought for the KLA, not Serbs who committed war crimes, its reputation has been tainted in Kosovo and it is unlikely to ever help facilitate inter-community reconciliation. Read more: Kosovo Verdict Reflects West’s Strategic Priorities, Not Pursuit of Justice (September 17, 2026)