Strategic Analysis Balkan Brief

Review of March 2025

Petra Bošková, Lucia Jašková, Anna Gúliková, Kristína Piknová, Kristína Šebová


Photo: Shutterstock.com

Albania
Albanian Orthodox Church Elects New Archbishop: Joan Pelushi

On March 23, the Albanian Orthodox Church elected Joan Pelushi as its new spiritual leader. He will succeed the late Archbishop Anastasios, who played a key role in reviving the church after the fall of communism in 1990.

During a 40-minute session, church bells rang to announce that the seven-member Holy Synod had elected Joan, the Metropolitan of Korça, as the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës, and all of Albania. He also became the head of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania. Two metropolitans were excluded from the vote due to their Greek citizenship, following the church’s statutes.

“I humbly accept this great responsibility and pledge to fulfil my duty with devotion,” Joan declared after signing the official decision of the synod. Earlier in the day, he led a Mass at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in downtown Tirana.

The Orthodox Church of Albania was granted autocephalous status in September 1922. Before that, it was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Ohrid and the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Sixty-nine-year-old Joan Pelushi worked as a doctor at the Tirana Psychiatric Hospital until 1990. Following the fall of the communist regime, he went to the United States to study at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.

After returning to Albania in 1994, he became a priest and taught at the church’s Theology University. Following further studies in Boston, he was appointed Metropolitan of Korça in 1998, overseeing southeastern districts near the Greek border.

Joan has translated and published numerous religious books. He has represented Albania in international religious forums and lectured on theology, history, and philosophy.

“His contribution extends far beyond the spiritual realm—he has significantly influenced culture, science, humanitarian efforts, and interfaith dialogue,” the church stated.

From 1967 to 1990, Albania banned all forms of religion, seizing church properties and isolating the country from the outside world. Joan Pelushi now become the sixth Archbishop of the Albanian Orthodox Church since its independence.

According to the 2023 census, around 7% of Albania’s 2.4 million population identifies as Orthodox Christian, though church officials claim the real number is higher. The country has a predominantly Muslim population, with Orthodox and Catholic Christians making up a significant minority.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina
Republika Srpska Advances New Constitution and Law, Defying Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Legal Framework as Crisis Escalates

Amid Bosnia’s worsening political crisis and despite facing criticism, the Republika Srpska (RS) assembly passed a new draft constitution and legislation that permits the creation of a separate army and judiciary.

On March 13, the National Assembly of RS passed the new draft constitution and a draft Law on the Protection of the Constitutional Order of Republika Srpska. Both drafts aim to strengthen RS’s autonomy by creating separate parallel institutions, including an army and judiciary and include provisions for self-determination and the potential to form a confederation with other nations. RS President Milorad Dodik hopes this could involve Serbia.

The Office of the High Representative (OHR), which oversees the implementation of the peace accords that ended the Bosnian war in the 1990s, criticized the draft law, calling it a serious violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and the country’s constitutional framework. The OHR also stated that by establishing parallel judicial institutions controlled directly by the RS National Assembly, the supremacy of state law is being ignored, and efforts are being made to implement laws that have been suspended by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The draft, which was adopted under urgent procedures, will undergo 30 days of public discussion before being submitted for a final vote in the assembly.

The adoption of the draft constitution and law occurred one day after the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued an arrest warrant for Dodik and two others, accusing them of attacking the constitutional order of the country. Dodik responded by pledging to resist the lawsuit at the state level, further escalating the ongoing crisis. The case was opened following a February 26 ruling by Bosnia’s state court, which sentenced Dodik, RS Prime Minister Višković, and RS assembly speaker Stevandić to one year in prison.

The RS regional police force stated that they would protect Dodik from arrest. In a lengthy speech to lawmakers in the RS Assembly, Dodik defiantly declared, “You want to arrest us? Go ahead, try to arrest us.” He argued that the charges against him highlighted his and his allies’ political agenda to establish a new constitutional order that would grant RS the right to secede from multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina.



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Photo: Shutterstock.com

Montenegro
​​Montenegro Enhancing Intergovernmental Relations With Hungary While Integrating Into The EU Structure

During the second week of March, there was the 9th Budapest Balkans Forum held in the Hungarian capital, and it gathered high-ranking political officials, experts, diplomats and some of the representatives of international organizations. Its main cause was to discuss key political, economic, and security problems of Southeast Europe and especially the Balkans. Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović expressed gratitude for Hungarian support in the means of integration into the EU structures while maintaining regional stability and cooperation. This opened appreciation comes after the end of the Hungarian EU presidency, as the joint efforts showed some results.

By the end of the year 2024, Podgorica was capable of closing three negotiation chapters as it approached accession to membership in the EU. The Deputy Prime Minister articulated the importance of implementation of the requested reforms and the commitment to maintaining a very obvious internal consensus on the future of Montenegro in the EU. Based on the current international political and security situation, the whole process of the negotiation talks could be slowed down a notch, however, the principle of EU enlargement remains among its fundamental values and strategic tools. As the EU is trying to reaffirm its credibility and status in the geopolitical strain, its enlargement policy is highly significant and could make a difference.

While on a work trip, Ivanović held a meeting with Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka to address common topics and potential struggles. Bóka stated that Budapest encourages current accessing states on their path to EU membership and speeding up the integration process due to the current events. It is in Podgorica’s prime interest to fulfil its obligations to the EU, as it has become Montenegrin’s main strategic goal to maintain a secured democratic alignment. Budapest declared its position to sustain its strong support to help Montenegro progress on its path to the EU structures while strengthening regional cooperation between the states.



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Kosovo
Kurti Still Refuses To Testify

Prime Minister Albin Kurti was invited to testify in December 2024 in a corruption case from summer 2023, which was about 600,000 EUR missing from state reserves. According to officials, this money was spent on sugar, wheat, oil, and other goods.

Kurti refused to go and testify to the prosecutor about this case and claimed that if something relevant happened the prosecutor should come to him and take testimony.

“The prosecution has never been freer. They are misusing this freedom to fight the government and not crime and corruption. I have always been ready to testify… If my testimony was important for the prosecution, they should have come to us. A prosecutor whose main aim is the testimony of a witness does not waste time,” he said.

Even though he refused to testify to the prosecutor about this corruption case, he told the journalists by the beginning of March this year this statement: “I have never said I won’t testify or refuse to give my testimony. On the contrary, I have said that I am ready and interested in testifying,”.

He added then: “The question is why the prosecution has wasted three months. It is my strong belief that they are more interested in filling the front pages [of news websites] of some oligarchs than bringing about justice,”.

Association of Journalists of Kosovo has reacted on behalf of his statements and criticized PM´s language and rhetoric, which should undermine media and freedom of speech.



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Photo: Shutterstock.com

Serbia
Serbs In The Streets: The Biggest Protests In Serbia’s History

On Friday, March 14, thousands of students began gathering in Belgrade, arriving in the capital on bicycles or foot because of the large protests that began on Saturday, March 15. Meanwhile, Serbia’s state railway company temporarily paused the operation of long-distance trains on Friday morning, saying it had received information about an unidentified bomb threat during the night.

The event on Saturday was called “15 for 15,” which is a reference to both the protest date and the number of victims from the November 1 station collapse in the city of Novi Sad. To honour the victims, the masses were silent for fifteen minutes. More than three months have passed since the student-led demonstrations began. Police said the crowd reached 107,000 people, but independent Serbian media reported the numbers were much higher, adding that the gathering was the biggest ever in the country. The BBC reports that as many as 325,000 people took part in the protests, the highest number in the history of Serbian protests.

The administration is accused of corruption and nepotism. Following the disaster in Novi Sad, P.M. Milos Vucevic resigned. Nonetheless, protesters are demanding anti-corruption policies, and the release of all records related to the Chinese-led restoration of Novi Sad railway station is the first of the four demands made by the students. The other demands include: a 20 per cent increase in the higher education budget; stopping the prosecution of students arrested during the protests; and the prosecution of all those involved in attacking professors and students during their protests about the disaster. The students are determined that they will not stop protesting until all of their demands are met by the government.

The students are being accused of plotting a “coup d’état” in more severe ways by the government-supported media. Vucic has accused protesters of planning “large-scale violence” in the past. Vucic promised not to back down in the face of widespread protests in a forceful speech he gave to the protesters on Friday. “I am the president of Serbia and I will not allow the streets to determine the rules in this country.” – he stated.

In Belgrade, thousands of supporters of the government also gathered, raising concerns about potential conflicts. The administration and its allies argue that the anti-corruption demonstrations are being funded by foreign sources and are a prelude to the government’s downfall.



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North Macedonia
Former North Macedonian Minister Arrested Amid Nightclub Fire Investigation

As authorities continue their investigation into the devastating fire at a nightclub in Kocani, a court has ordered the temporary detention of a former government minister and several other officials linked to the venue’s operating license.

On March 17, a court in Kocani ruled that former Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi, along with seven others, should be held for 48 hours while the probe continues into the incident that claimed 59 lives. Among those detained are Goran Trajkovski, former head of the State Market Inspectorate, and Bekim Maksuti, former head of the Protection and Rescue Directorate.

The State Prosecution is examining irregularities in the license granted to the Pulse nightclub, which went up in flames early Sunday morning during a crowded hip-hop concert. At least 155 people were hospitalized following the fire, which was reportedly sparked by fireworks.

Investigators suspect that the club’s cabaret license, issued on March 13 last year, may have been falsified or obtained through corrupt means. While an official license document exists bearing ministry stamps and signatures, it does not appear in the central registry.

Bekteshi, who served as Economy Minister from 2017 until June 2024, was in office when the license in question was issued.

Interior Minister Pance Toskovski announced that multiple government bodies, including the Economy and Interior ministries, the State Market Inspectorate, the Labour Inspectorate, and the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, are under scrutiny for their role in authorizing the club’s operations.

“The public will be shocked when they learn the amounts of money involved in securing these documents illegally, bypassing all regulations for nightclub and cabaret operations,” Toskovski stated.

Prosecutors have already identified around 20 suspects, with the possibility of more names being added to the list.

Additionally, the mayor of Kocani, Ljupco Papazov, who resigned on Monday, has been called in for questioning, though he has not been named as a suspect at this time.

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