EU continues membership talks with Turkey and Serbia

After a long pause, Brussels has resumed negotiations for Turkey's accession to the EU, opening a new chapter. At the same time it announced the beginning of membership talks with Serbia, which shows that the migration crisis and the Russian presence in the Balkans have led the EU to reconsider its plans for a pause in enlargement. As an expression of this new pragmatism Brussels showed greater openness towards Serbia, simultaneously opening two chapters of the negotiations, despite the limited progress towards implementation of the agreement between Belgrade and former Serbian province of Kosovo. Brussels and Ankara will be discussing Chapter 17, which concerns economic and monetary policy.

Law prohibits advertising of drugs on radio and television in Romania

Romanian MPs have adopted a law banning advertising of drugs on radio and television. According to the authors of the law, it aims at stopping self-medication. According to the law, drugs that do not require prescription can be advertised in other media, but after approval by the National Drug Agency.

Clashes between police and opposition supporters in Kosovo

The police in Kosovo dispersed about 150 opposition supporters who were throwing stones at the parliament building. Opposition MPs once again released tear gas, trying to put pressure on the government to abandon agreements with Serbia and Montenegro. One of the agreements gives more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo, while the other defines the border with Montenegro. In the past three months the opposition has been blocking the parliament building, using tear gas, pepper spray, whistles and bottles of water to protest against the agreements. Opposition supporters held violent protests in Pristina.

The crisis has led to more stress among Greeks

The economic crisis has led to an increase of stress among Greeks - 44 per cent say they are overwhelmed by negative feelings because of the crisis. Most stressed are Greeks with low incomes. 25 percent also say they could not afford medical treatment. About 30 percent of Greeks have been experiencing financial difficulties and one out of five Greeks suffers from a disease. Two out of three are overweight and one out of three is a smoker.

Protests in Montenegro against joining NATO

Some 2,000 people in Montenegro protested against joining NATO, chanting “Russia, Russia.” The protest took place days after the country received an invitation to join the Alliance. The protest was organised by pro-Russian opposition parties that want a referendum on the topic. The Adriatic country with a population of just over 600,000 people is divided regarding NATO membership because of the country’s traditionally close relations with Russia and the fact that NATO bombed Montenegro during the war in Kosovo in 1999, when Montenegro was still in union with Serbia

Unemployment in Macedonia declines

Unemployment in Macedonia in the third quarter of the year was 25.5 percent. In comparison to the second quarter of this year, when the level was 26.8%, the unemployment rate decreased by 1.3 percent. Statistics showed that unemployed Macedonians in the third quarter of the year were 243,230 people.

Compiled by: Radoslav Dikov

English: Alexander Markov