Week in Review: Polls and Storms

A nailbiter in Serbia Supporters gesture during the final election campaign rally of the ‘Student List’ civic movement in Belgrade, Serbia, 22 October 2026. Photo: EPA/MARKO DJOKOVIC New approaches to bilateral disputes (L-R, front row) Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabic, Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovacevski, Prime Minister of the Republic of Montenegro Dritan Abazovic, Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zoran Tegeltija and Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama at a signing ceremony in Berlin, Germany, 03 November 2022. Photo by EPA-EFE/ANDREAS GORA European efforts at promoting good neighbourly relations between the countries of the Balkans have yielded no end of warm words, joint statements and positive pledges. Yet in reality, the discrepancy in power dynamics between EU member states and hopeful candidates has often been detrimental to good neighbourly relations. In her opinion piece for Balkan Insight, Marika Djolai makes the case for why a new approach is needed. Could the Berlin Process help in this regard? Read more: Berlin Process Needs to Level the Playing Field in Bilateral Disputes (October 22, 2026) Protest storm in Tirana Anti- government protest in Tirana, Albania, on October 18, 2026. Photo: BIRN/Xhemali Moku A wave of student protests has rocked Albania over the last week and the intensity of the clashes with police has come as a shock to many outside observers. The protests escalated rapidly, and given that there are no clear leaders or spokespeople, it’s been difficult at times to understand what is driving the movement. So BIRN sent a reporter out onto the streets to talk with protesters to understand the reasons for their outrage. Read more: Albania’s Students Demand the Fall of Rama and an End to Corruption (October 21, 2026) In need of a solution Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama attends the Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit near Budva, Montenegro, 22 October 2026. Photo: EPA/BORIS PEJOVIC One of the few clear demands to be heard at the recent protests rocking Albania is for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. Not surprisingly, Rama has rejected such calls, arguing that only elections can decide who will govern. Amid escalating violence, the Albanian government has fought back with a tough security response. Most observers, however, seem to believe that a political – rather than security – solution is needed to fix the country’s turmoil. Can one be found? Read more: Tougher Security Response Won’t Solve Albania’s Growing Crisis: Experts (October 16, 2026) Clinging on Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (R) during their meeting in Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2025. Photo: EPA/ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/AP POOL. With so much else going on in the region, Russia’s efforts to shape political outcomes in the Balkans seem to have faded from media focus recently. Yet Moscow is fighting to preserve what is left of its influence in the region. In his opinion piece for Balkan Insight, Maksim Samorukov takes a look at how Russia is supporting its favourites in the region. Moscow seems to prefer the predictable “devils it knows” to the ones who seek to replace them. Read more: Russian Despatch: Kremlin Clings to Balkan Buddies Dodik and Vucic (October 21, 2026) Costs of deadlock Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti (L) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) shake hands ahead of their meeting in Pristina, Kosovo, 26 October 2024. Photo: EPA/VISAR KRYEZIU Two years of political deadlock in Kosovo has come at a steep price. Hundreds of millions of euros of EU funding have been left dangling due to a failure to push through EU-mandated reforms, as politicians focus their energy on internal brinkmanship. Some 40 million euros in EU funds has already been forfeited. Another 90 million euros hangs in the balance. Can Kosovo make up for lost time? Read more: Kosovo Risks Losing More EU Funds After Deadlock Delayed Reforms (October 20, 2026)