The Balkans: 2024 in Review
Source: EN RSS Free
The outgoing year 2024 will be remembered for a series of important events in the Balkan countries.
Romania and Bulgaria joined Schengen by air and sea and were given the green light to join by land from early 2025, Ankara endorsed Sweden’s NATO bid, and the Republic of North Macedonia got its first female president. Greece legalized same-sex marriage and Turkiye sent a man into space for the first time.
Albania began accession negotiations with the EU. Floods and landslides claimed 26 lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia was swept by a wave of protests over lithium mining and later over the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which claimed 15 lives. Romania, on the other hand, faced an unprecedented decision to annul the first round of presidential elections.
JANUARY
January 1: Kosovo nationals can travel visa-free to EU and Schengen countries for stays of up to three months. Kosovo is last of six Western Balkan countries whose citizens needed visas to travel to EU and Schengen area.
January 10: Romanian farmers and hauliers launch protests against high fuel prices and third party liability insurance, EU environmental measures, and Ukrainian agricultural imports. Protests, accompanied by blockades of border crossings, continue into early February.
January 11: Bulgaria, Turkiye and Romania sign Memorandum of Understanding in Istanbul on establishment of Black Sea Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Task Force (MSM Black Sea).
January 19: Turkiye sends man into space for first time. Country’s first astronaut, Alper Gezeravci, is part of Axiom Space mission. Gezeravci and three other astronauts (Spaniard, Italian and Swede) arrive at International Space Station on January 20 after 37-hour flight.
January 23: Turkish Parliament endorses Sweden’s bid for NATO membership.
January 28: For first time, ethnic Albanian becomes Prime Minister of Republic of North Macedonia. Talat Jaferi heads technical government which by law must govern country for 100 days before elections.
FEBRUARY
February 1: Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, bans banks and other financial institutions in Serb-populated areas from using Serbian dinar in local transactions from February 1. Kosovo adopted euro as its official currency in 2002 although it is not member of euro area. Measure sparks protests among Serbs in northern Kosovo.
February 6: New Serbian parliament holds constituent session following early parliamentary and local by-elections on December 17, 2023, won by ruling Serbian Progressive Party coalition. Post-elections, opposition Serbia Against Violence coalition contests results and stages protests demanding elections’ annullment.
February 14: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Egypt on his first official presidential visit after prolonged stalemate in bilateral relations.
February 15: By 176 votes in favour, Greece’s 300-seat Parliament passes law allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children.
February 16: US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrives in Albania for his first visit.
MARCH
March 4: NATO tactical airbase is inaugurated in Kucova, Southern Albania, to support NATO national and strategic operations in Western Balkans.
March 12: European Council approves opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina but does not set date for their start.
March 28: Greek Parliament rejects vote of no confidence in government tabled by opposition PASOK, prompted by evidence tampering over February 28, 2023 train crash near Larissa in which 57 people died.
March 31: Romania and Bulgaria join Schengen area by air and sea.
March 31: Local elections are held in Turkiye, marking first electoral defeat for Turkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) nationwide since its rise to power in 2002.
APRIL
April 17: Parliamentary elections in Croatia. Winning Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), in power since 2016, forms coalition government with Homeland Movement.
April 24: European Parliament endorses Western Balkans Growth Plan, making EUR 6 billion available to region. Of these, EUR 2 billion are in grants and EUR 4 billion in loans between 2024 and 2027.
MAY
May 2: Serbian Parliament approves country’s new Government headed by Milos Vucevic.
May 2: Turkiye entirely halts its trade with Israel, estimated at some USD 7 billion annually, becoming Jewish State’s first key trading partner to suspend exports and imports on account of military campaign in Gaza.
May 7: Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrives on visit to Serbia – one of three stops on his European tour (first in five years).
May 8: North Macedonia elects new parliament simultaneously with second tour of presidential elections. Right-of-centre VMRO-DPMNE gets most votes in parliamentary elections, and party’s candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova wins presidential race to become country’s first female head of state.
May 13: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits Ankara for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Sides welcome progress within framework of “positive agenda” (platform for advancing bilateral cooperation) and declare will to address contentious issues through dialogue.
May 23: UN General Assembly adopts resolution designating July 11 as “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica”.
JUNE
June 5: Slovenia and Palestine establish diplomatic relations day after Slovenia becomes 147th UN Member State to recognize Palestine.
June 23: North Macedonia’s Parliament approves coalition Government of right-of-centre VMRO-DPMNE, Albanian parties’ coalition VLEN (Worth) and ZNAM (I Know) Movement, with Hristijan Mickoski as Prime Minister.
JULY
July 1: In Istanbul, Navy Commanders of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye formally activate Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group (MCM Black Sea).
July 1: Free trade agreement between Serbia and China enters into force.
July 12: In Podgorica, Supreme Court acquits all defendants charged with “high treason” for attempting to overthrow Montenegrin government on election day in 2016, on eve of country’s accession to NATO.
July 16: Serbian Government allows Australian company Rio Tinto to restart controversial lithium extraction project that sparked series of protests.
July 19: Serbia and EU sign Memorandum of Understanding launching Strategic Partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery value chains and electric vehicles.
July 20: On 50th anniversary of Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visit divided island to voice support for Republic of Cyprus and unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, respectively.
AUGUST
August 1: In Ankara, US and Russia exchange 24 prisoners (largest number since Cold War era) and two children.
August 10: In Belgrade, tens of thousands protest against Rio Tinto company’s project for lithium extraction in Western Serbia. Protesters claim that operation will contaminate environment, powerholders argue that it will boost economy.
August 14: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visits Ankara to confer with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and address Grand National Assembly.
August 16: Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anusic says Croatia will reintroduce conscription on January 1, 2025, with two-month compulsory military service.
August 29: French President Emmanuel Macron visits Serbia. Series of agreements worth billions of euro are signed during trip, including delivery of 12 French Rafale jet fighters, supply of critical raw materials like lithium, and development of civilian nuclear programme to meet Serbia’s ever growing energy needs.
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