Balkan developments

A wave of international solidarity and aid for Turkey after the ‎earthquakes

Nearly 6,500 foreign rescuers from 56 countries are working on the ground in ‎Southern Turkey, which on February 6 was rocked by a series of earthquakes, ‎the strongest of which measured 7.7 and 7.6 on the Richter scale. They caused ‎huge human casualties and material damage, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt ‎Çavuşoğlu said, quoted by CNN Turk. ‎

Turkey has received aid offers from a total of 95 countries and 16 international ‎organizations. Teams from another 19 countries are expected to arrive, ‎Çavuşoğlu said. ‎

He added that many ministers from European countries have expressed their ‎wish to visit Turkey and the visits are planned for the week after February 13.‎

The EU wants Belgrade and Pristina to accept the Franco-German peace ‎plan

In front of the parliament in Pristina, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti ‎announced that the Franco-German proposal for negotiations with Belgrade, ‎known as the EU plan, is not a final agreement, but a basis for negotiation. He ‎pointed out that there are paragraphs in the document with which Serbia de ‎facto recognizes Kosovo.‎

‎Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told the ambassadors of the USA, Great ‎Britain, France, Germany and Italy in Belgrade that the formation of the Union ‎of Serbian Municipalities in Northern Kosovo has already been agreed in ‎Brussels and without its creation "participation in the dialogue loses its ‎meaning”, TANYUG reports.‎

Hungarians, Bosniaks, Albanians and Bulgarians could form monoethnic ‎unions in Serbia, but Serbia does not give them the opportunity, but demands ‎that the same be established in Kosovo, commented Kurti, quoted by ‎KosovaPress. ‎

Skopje claims to "protect the identity and dignity of citizens"‎

At a meeting with EU ambassadors in Skopje, Macedonian Prime Minister ‎Dimitar Kovacevski rejected the possibility of holding early parliamentary ‎elections in North Macedonia. ‎

‎"We are a civil state, a successful example of a functional multi-ethnic ‎democracy, a state of citizens with equal rights and obligations, and this is our ‎value. We will continue on the way forward, categorically protecting the ‎identity and dignity of citizens," Kovacevski said. ‎

As a threat to Skopje, he pointed out "the growing nationalism for personal ‎and foreign interests in the countries of the Western Balkans". As an alternative ‎to this threat, Kovacevski indicated the need to continue the enlargement of the ‎EU, the government press service in Skopje reported.‎

In Greece, a barrier is being erected against the participation of far-right ‎parties in elections

At the request of the government, the Greek parliament voted on a legal ‎amendment to prevent parties from participating in elections if their "true ‎leaders" have been sentenced to life in prison, for treason, espionage and ‎participation in a criminal organization. ‎

Ahead of spring elections, the amendment affects the far-right Golden Dawn ‎party. In 2020, the court designated it a criminal group linked to hate crimes. ‎

It will also affect the small right-wing party Ellines, co-founded by former MP ‎and spokesman for Zlatna Zora, Ilias Kasidiaris. Sociologists point out that ‎Elines is close to crossing the electoral threshold of 3% to enter the parliament. ‎

Kasidiaris accused the government of a ``conspiracy against democracy'' and ‎demanded the repeal of the amendment, Reuters reports.‎

Romania adopts life imprisonment for drivers who cause death on the ‎road

Drugged drivers, drunk drivers and drivers without a license who cause a fatal road ‎accident should be punished with life imprisonment, an amendment to the ‎Penal Code provides for, unanimously adopted by the Senate of Romania. ‎

It's a response to "the public outcry of people in pain when they see the culprits ‎get back on the loose, behind the wheel, to cause more accidents," said the ‎measure's sponsor, Senate Vice President Robert Cazanciuc.‎

The proposal was returned for consideration in November 2022 after it was ‎rejected by the Chamber of Deputies in 2019, reports AGERPRES. ‎

‎20,000 per year are convicted of driving without a license, under the influence ‎of drugs or alcohol in Romania. ‎

In 2021, the country was in first place in Europe in terms of the number of ‎deaths in accidents.‎

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov

Edited by Miglena Ivanova