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Radev has consolidated power in Bulgaria. The second round of the presidential elections held yesterday was won by the current president, Iliana Yotova, supported by Prime Minister Rumen Radev – 57.6%. She defeated the pro-Western Andrey Gyurov, who received 39.5% of the votes. Now Radev has everything: the position of prime minister, the parliament, and the presidency. After yesterday's victory, he stated that this is a mandate "to take more decisive reforms." Bulgaria has not had a stable government for five years, during which time there have been as many as eight elections. Now the power is monolithic, and formally there is stability. However, there are two problems. First - legitimacy. Very few voters participated in the presidential elections. The opposition can use the argument that the government is unrepresentative. Second - controversial foreign policy. Radev's stance is negotiations with Moscow, against military support for Ukraine. Yotova also advocated negotiations during the campaign. Talks of peace and negotiations with Moscow have already echoed – ships continue to sink in the Black Sea. Adhering to this line will guarantee a conflict with Brussels over funding and with the pro-Western opposition. If the EU starts to exert pressure and suspends funding, Radev's figure and government will become very vulnerable. We forecast that Bulgaria will experience one and a half to two years of tense stability, followed by a new crisis. #Bulgaria #Elections #Balkanija (translated)

There are more jokes in the Balkan space - now in Albania. Yesterday, on October 29, opposition deputies in parliament released blue smoke bombs and blocked the podium while Prime Minister Edi Rama attempted to speak. Opposition leader Sali Berisha stated that the ruling party deserves tear gas, not young people. Protests have been ongoing since mid-October – students are demanding Rama's resignation due to corruption, job opportunities, and education. Buildings have already been burned, and windows have been smashed. But this is not Serbia. In Serbia, students won the elections. In Albania, there are no elections - there is the street and the parliament. The protest is happening due to corruption and a coastal project supported by Trump's son-in-law Kushner. Rama, who has been in power since 2013, is currently offering dialogue and cheaper fuel. In fact, Edi Rama is not as malign as Vučić in neighboring Serbia. He has been serving as Prime Minister since 2013 and won his fourth term last year. Albania is a NATO member, a candidate for the EU, and Rama is the one pushing Albania forward - he speaks English and French fluently. He is an artist and a former mayor of Tirana. But his problem is not the EU, but the long rule. When a person has been in power for 13 years, like Rama or Vučić, or like Radev in Bulgaria, even if he is pro-European, corruption and clientelism arise – when friends get jobs, young people see no prospects, and education is poor. Only in Albania is there another problem – the opposition leader here is the 82-year-old Sali Berisha. The same Berisha whom Albanians ousted from power in 1997. Now he is trying to overthrow another political veteran – Rama. Students are left only with the role of protesters and battering rams against the government. More about the Balkans - balkanailt.substack.com #Albania #Students #Balkans #BALKANIJA #Albania #Students #Balkans #BALKANIJA (translated)

As tensions in Serbia ease, new jokes arise in the Balkan region. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev accuses Bucharest of escalating the conflict in the Black Sea. On October 26 during the Sofia Economic Forum, Prime Minister Radev stated that Romania publicly accused Russia of drone attacks, which were followed by new strikes. "When I accuse, I must have clear evidence," he said. Romania responded, stating that Bucharest has always relied on concrete evidence, including debris from Russian drones, provided to the Russian ambassador. Why such a statement now? On Sunday, November 1, Bulgaria will hold the second round of presidential elections. Radev's protégé Iliana Yotova is leading, but she needs the so-called "peace" electorate. The "peace electorate" in Bulgaria is similar to that in Lithuania – supporting Vaitkus, Nemunas sausage, and other misunderstandings. Radev is unsettled because pro-Western and anti-corruption candidate Andrey Gyurov is hot on Yotova's heels. If Yotova wins, it would extend his rule. If Gyurov wins, Radev will have a president who controls him. Therefore, the Prime Minister is now showing his electorate: "I am not a pro-war advocate, I am a voice for peace, I do not attack Russia without evidence, and Bucharest is escalating." This is the message to that electorate we have written about. However. Just yesterday, on October 28, following this statement, the fifth strike occurred in Bulgaria's economic zone – the ship "Contship Jet," carrying 421 containers, was attacked while heading to Constanta. Thus, the peace rhetoric has not brought peace. #Balkans #Geopolitics #Bulgaria #Romania #BlackSea #BALKANIJA (translated)

The author called on Bosnia to recognize Kosovo and adopt the euro, describing 2027 as an opportunity for a historic European agreement. The post claimed that Aleksandar Vučić had lost elections in Serbia and that his defeat had shifted the political balance in the Balkans, weakening Milorad Dodik’s ally in Belgrade. The author also referred to an offer to Bosnia, linking to a proposal. https://t.co/Ea12yZuhOS #Bosna #Kosovo #Balkani #BA #XK #EU #RS

The author claimed that Vučić had fallen and said Serbian students had shown that political change was possible. They called for democratic change across the Western Balkans, saying the region deserved a new beginning, and called for Albania’s Edi Rama and Montenegro’s Andrija Mandić to leave office. The post also began a reference to North Macedonia but did not complete it. https://t.co/SQKqjamlW8 #Demokratija #Balkani #PolitičkaPromena #RS #AL #ME #MK

The author stated that the Student List won the legislative elections in Serbia, after two years of protests that started on the street. He presented this victory as an unprecedented success against the power of Aleksandar Vučić, whom he described as authoritarian and corrupt, and noted that he has been ruling the country since 2014. #Serbie #Élections #Résistance #RS (translated)

Elections today not only in Serbia. Bulgaria is also electing a new president and vice president. These are extraordinary elections, as Bulgaria has witnessed a focus for the first time in history, first demonstrated by Putin with Medvedev in Russia, and now by Vučić in Serbia. The essence of the focus is simple – to remain in power, the previous president Rumen Radev, like the aforementioned gentlemen, stepped down from the presidency to become prime minister. Although there are as many as 27 candidate pairs (presidential and vice presidential) participating in the elections, there are essentially two main candidates: Iliana Iotova - the acting president, former vice president to Radev during both of his terms. She is the candidate of Radev's party "Progressive Bulgaria." Polls predict about 47.3% for her. She is considered pro-European, but at the same time aligns with Radev's line, which is manifested in pro-Russian rhetoric, yet never blocks EU and NATO decisions. The most accurate description would be "Bulgaria first." Andrey Gyurov - about 22% economist, former acting prime minister at the beginning of 2026. He is the main opposition candidate, supported by those wishing to distance themselves from Radev's influence. Most pro-Western and pro-Ukrainian. Also mentioned is Petar Volgin with about 10.3% - he is a candidate of the pro-Russian, nationalist line. Voter turnout is predicted to be very low - about 39%. Why are the elections important? Bulgaria has been a member of the eurozone since 2026, but is politically very unstable. On April 19, the parliamentary elections were won by Radev's coalition "Progressive Bulgaria." Now Radev is the prime minister, and his former vice president is trying to maintain the presidency for the same political camp. In the backdrop of the elections - the war in the Black Sea and drone attacks near Bulgaria's shores, so security is a key topic. In short: just as in neighboring Serbia the elections are a referendum on Vučić, so in Bulgaria - a referendum on Radev - will his political machine maintain the presidency while he himself has moved to the prime minister's position? In the photo, the acting president and leading candidate Iliana Iotova. #Bulgaria #Elections #Balkans #Balkanija (translated)

Tomorrow, on October 25, Serbia will elect a new parliament. Essentially, this is a referendum on Aleksandar Vučić's over a decade-long rule. It all started on November 1, 2024, in Novi Sad, when the roof of a newly renovated station collapsed, killing 16 people. Over the two years since this tragedy, a powerful anti-corruption youth (student) movement has gained momentum. In this election, they are participating for the first time as a political force (Student List No. 3), led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanović. Opposing them is the ruling SNS, whose list is headed by Vučić himself, who resigned from the presidency on September 27 to run for prime minister. Polls show that both forces are neck and neck—about 115 mandates for each—but the opposition is gaining ground. Everything will depend on whether Vučić's old partner SPS and the pro-European "European Serbia" can overcome the 3 percent threshold. In-depth analysis - on Balkans Substack #Balkans #Geopolitics #History #Serbia #Substack #Election #Balkans #Geopolitics #History #Serbia #Substack #Election (translated)

For more than 25 years, I have been traveling through Southeast Europe, delving into the history, politics, and lifestyle of those regions. Together with a historian and my son-in-law, since the autumn of 2025, we have been putting the accumulated knowledge into an analytical Substack channel called "Balkanija." We provide a perspective from Lithuania on the still bubbling, curiosity-filled, quite distant yet so close region for those who find superficial headlines or simply "vacations by the warm sea" uninteresting. Here, there is an abundance of history, politics, sports, gastronomy, and travel from a Lithuanian perspective. We aim to fill the knowledge gap about this bubbling region in the Lithuanian language. We invite you to follow us here and subscribe to the newsletter: https://balkanailt.substack.com/ #Balkans #Geopolitics #History #Lietuva #Substack #BALKANIJA #Balkans #Geopolitics #History #Lietuva #Substack #BALKANIJA (translated)

Tolsimir stated that he considered Slavia's last truly admirable performance in Europe to be the quarter-finals against Feyenoord in the 2021/22 season. According to him, the club's subsequent participation included a very unsuccessful performance in the group with Cluj, Sivasspor, and Ballkani, which he labeled as one of the easiest ever, progressing from the Europa League group against opponents whose quality, with the exception of Rome, he assessed as low, and elimination in the very next round. He admitted that progression at least meant not a failed year. He also mentioned almost the last place in the Europa League with a single win against Ludogorets and the last two appearances in the Champions League. According to Tolsimir, it was not about bad luck, but a long-term and sad trend: Slavia, according to him, had transformed from a club that commanded respect in Europe into a harmless opponent, despite still having confidence. He described Slavia's domestic successes as positive, but simultaneously claimed that they primarily reflected the weakness of their opponents and should not be sufficient for the club. #SlaviaPraha #EvropskáLiga #Fotbal (translated)

The latest scout™ stated that electoral district No. 3, which according to him included one of the most remote and poorest parts of the republic, witnessed a political operation, to which he compared Sandra Tsoukernik's candidacy for the Senate. He added that Michal Borský wrote about the "balkanization of the western border." https://t.co/VMHKENIPd6 #politika #Senát #volby (translated)

"We need faster mechanisms at point 7 in case newcomers oppose the rule of law, democracy, or our values," according to Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi. The goal is that there should not be another Viktor Orbán among future member states, and the timing is not accidental, as the accession of Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan countries is once again on the agenda. #EUbővítés #OrbánViktor #demokrácia (translated)

The author called for a “Balkan Benelux 2027,” recalling that they and Ekrem Krasniqi had proposed the idea in 2012 to accelerate European integration. Fourteen years later, the author said the strategy needed to be broader and faster, with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia on a single fast track. https://t.co/eGxOUn5jWl #BalkanIntegration #EuropeanUnion #BalkanBenelux #AL #BA #XK #ME #MK

Mindaugas Sinkevičius litván miniszterelnök bejelentette, hogy Litvánia készen áll a visszatámadásra egy esetleges támadás esetén, miközben a folyamatos fenyegetettség érzéséről beszélt és védelmi intézkedések, valamint evakuálási tervek kidolgozását említette. #Litvánia #Oroszország #BalkániTension

Martin Krasnik har en vaskeægte luksusholdning her. Hvis Danmark teoretisk set bliver ødelagt af globalisme, eller Europa bliver ramt af balkaniserede interne konflikter, så kan Martin Krasnik, eller hans efterkommere, teknisk set altid flygte til Israel og være majoritets-etnokultur dér i stedet, da hele formålet med Israel er at beskytte bl.a. hans identitet. Vi andre har altså ikke en plan B, udover at LARPe “danskere” i Solvang i Californien. Sverigestan er formentlig allerede tabt. Massivt hykleri. #globalisme #identitet #Danmark