From politics to the media business, high expectations often go hand-in-hand with disappointments big and small, as our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week shows.

Serbia sent record amounts of arms to Israel last year. But President Aleksandar Vucic said that since Israel attacked Iran, such exports have been stopped.

Firefighters and volunteers have been battling to contain wildfires that have broken out in the last 24 hours on the Greek islands of Chios and Crete.

Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at the region’s slow-burning political crises, smuggling networks, digital surveillance and a whole lot more.

Romania’s President Nicusor Dan (L) and designated Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan (C) shake hands at the end of a joint media statement at Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest, Romania, 20 ...

Amid rising far-right sentiment, Romanian authorities are tightening laws against extremist propaganda, leading to complaints of censorship.

Download this e-book collection of Balkan Insight’s reports telling the story of the mass protest movement in Serbia from November 2024 to May 2025.

Passengers were transferred to a raft after water entered the hull of the ship on Monday evening. Photo: zadarski.hr/facebook. In a major rescue operation involving several vessels, all passengers ...

Jailed presidential candidate and Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu tells court that cases against him and his colleagues are a 'direct punishment' for challenging President Erdogan and winning ...

Roman Giertych, lawyer, is surrounded by the press as he makes his way to the Poland’s National Public Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw, Poland, 03 August 2017.

With the July 9 deadline looming, the EU is working flat out to negotiate a trade deal with the US. Yet reactions from those expected to be among the hardest hit – Slovakia, Hungary and Czechia ...

Unable to bring defendants to court, Kosovo and Serbia are trying more suspects for war crime in their absence. Legal experts question whether justice is being served.