Premature withdrawal
With NATO’s New Secretary General making his first official visit to Kosovo, speculation about possible troop withdrawals ignores the present security challenges.
The politics of regionalisation
Following on the heels of a declaration demanding the "unconditional withdrawal" of the Gendermarie from southern Serbia, ethnic Albanian politicians have called for the establishment of a separate 'Presevo Valley region'.
Politicising future NATO membership
Despite an apparent consensus about Bosnia and Herzegovina's future membership in NATO, the political dynamics of the Republika Srpska augurs both caution and reserve.
Missing out on Europe
The Croatian prime minister's resignation is a symptom of fading hopes for EU membership in the western Balkans.
Precarious Preševo
The second serious incident in the space of a week in the Preševo Valley region of southern Serbia has re-enforced the need for ethnic Albanian politicians to strengthen their involvement in the work of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medvedja
Simmering tensions in the South
A grenade attack on the Gendarmerie near Bujanovac, in southern Serbia, has exposed the fragility of the region and the need for tangible steps to improve relations between the security infrastructure and the various local communities.
Walking the Kosovo tightrope
With Kosovo's status under debate, the EU's rule-of-law mission must remain neutral if it is to ensure stability in the region.
Evading the rule of law
The failure to extradite Agim Ceku, the former prime minister of Kosovo, represents a further blow to international law and good neighbourly relations in the Western Balkans.
Financial folly
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's failure to implement public spending reductions is jeopardizing the country's stand-by agreement with the IMF.
Economic (re)integration versus protectionism
An agreement on economic co-operation between Serbia and Republika Srpska stands in stark contrast to protectionist measures passed by the parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
EULEX and minority communities in Kosovo
TransConflict's Co-Founders, Mr. Ian Bancroft and Ms. Mirjana Kosic, recently took part in a three-day workshop organized by the Youth Dialogue Programme, in conjunction with the EULEX Mission in Kosovo, entitled, "EULEX and Minority Communities in Kosovo".
The success of subsidiarity
Whilst the issue of devolution and decentralisation continues to cause controversy and conjecture throughout the Western Balkans, a new report concludes that regions with more powers and competencies are economically more successful.
The flight of Kosovo's minorities
The EU insists that Kosovo is a tolerant and multi-ethnic society. So why are its minorities leaving?
Serbia’s ICTY Obstacle
In spite of largely positive assessments from the ICTY's chief prosecutor, the USA and Amnesty International concerning co-operation with The Hague Tribunal, The Netherlands remains unwilling to soften its stance towards unblocking Serbia's SAA and interim trade agreement with the EU.
In the red, in the Balkans
The global financial crisis has both magnified and exacerbated the shortcomings of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Tihic Re-elected, Brankovic Resigns
Two significant political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina will have important repercussions for the process of constitutional reform and the country's deal with the IMF.
Kosovo's Serbs must return
The international community has failed to ensure the safe return of hundreds of thousands of people expelled from their homes.
Agreement on Reconstructing the Coordination Body
After an absence of almost three-years, Albanian leaders from southern Serbia have returned to the Co-ordination Body for Preševo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, after an agreement was reached on restructuring the Body's composition and competencies.
Serbia’s anniversary is a timely reminder
Nato's intervention over Kosovo in 1999 was an important precursor to the invasion of Iraq four years later.
