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Balkan Developments

EU police officers patrol Kosovo over car registration plate issue


135 police officers from the EU mission (EULEX) have started patrolling in Serb-populated northern Kosovo, mission head Lars-Gunnar Wigemark told kossev.info. This is due to tensions over the government's order in Pristina to re-register cars with Serbian number plates with Kosovo ones. EULEX is helping with security after Serbian police officers in Kosovo resigned in protest against the order. The requirement has been in effect since the beginning of the month after several delays due to protests. Currently, drivers with Serbian license plates receive warnings, but next week they can be fined. Brussels has been working hard to find a way to de-escalate tensions before November 21.

Natasha Pirc Musar elected first female president of Slovenia


Independent candidate Natasa Pirc Musar became Slovenia's first female president after winning the second round of the presidential election. The 54-year-old lawyer working in the field of media law and human rights received the support of 54% of voters. She ran as an independent candidate in the elections, but was supported by the center-left government for the run-off. Her rival, former foreign minister Andze Logar, supported by the center-right Slovenian Democratic Party, collected 46% of the votes in the second round. On December 23, the new president will take the office of Borut Pahor, who had already served two terms in office and could not run for a third term. The President of Slovenia has a largely representative function.

Greece commemorates anti-Junta revolt


Thousands of Greeks demonstrated on November 17 in Athens to mark the anniversary of the student riots of 1973. During the annual protest demonstrators traditionally head to the embassy of the US. Many Greeks accuse the US of supporting the 1967-1974 military dictatorship and the demonstration often grows into a protest against government policy, BTA reports. Protesters carried posters reading "USA and NATO, get out" and "Fight for peace and disarmament". Tensions between the police and the protesters briefly escalated. Traditionally, a group of demonstrators carried the blood-stained Greek flag of the students from the 1973 riot.

Citizens laid flowers in front of the Athens Polytechnic - a legendary place for the Greeks. It was this university that revolted against the dictatorship of the colonels in Greece and was attacked by tanks in November 1973. Back then 23 people died and more than 1,500 were injured. The revolt in the Polytechnic is considered the beginning of a series of events that led to the fall of the military junta and the restoration of democracy in Greece.

The largest solar power plant in Europe will be built in Romania


Romania plans to build a solar power plant with a capacity of 1,044 MW. It is expected to be equipped with a 4-hour energy storage system of 135 MW. The project is in the final stage of development, the Bulgarian site 3e-news reports. The plant will be built near the city of Arad in western Romania. Construction is scheduled to start in the first half of 2023 and finish in 2025. Once operational, the plant is expected to produce an average of 1,500,000 MWh per year.

Currently, the largest solar power plant in Europe is Iberdrola - Francisco Pizarro in Spain with capacity of 590 MW.

Turkey becomes one of the Top-3 New Year's destinations for Russians


Regardless of the rising prices in Turkey, the country is one of the Top 3 New Year's destinations abroad for Russians, along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, the Russian Association of Tour Operators reported. 80% of the reservations are for Antalya and the rest - for Istanbul and ski resorts such as Kayseri, Palandoken and Erzurum. Russians most often buy 7-day vacations in Antalya, paying an average price of about 4,000 euros for a package for two.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English: Al. Markov

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