Balkanoscope

Dear readers,

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was back in the Western Balkans this week. You could follow her messages from across the region on our website. Two stops on her tour in particular showed where EU enlargement policy currently stands. In Tirana, she said Albania’s EU accession goals are “on the horizon”, while in Podgorica she backed Montenegro’s ambition to become the 28th member by 2028.  At the time of sending this newsletter, Von der Leyen is in Skopje, where she said that North Macedonia need to regain momentum on its path towards EU membership.

At the same time, the European Commission is preparing new roadmaps for the most advanced candidate countries, including Montenegro and Albania, which should provide a clearer picture of what remains to be done and within what timeframe.

This time, the Commission President skipped Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia because of the ongoing election campaigns in both countries.  

Citizens of Bosnia will vote in general elections this Sunday. The campaign has once again highlighted the country’s deep political and ethnic divisions, with national issues and accusations between political rivals overshadowing the concerns citizens identify as their most pressing – from the cost of living and wages to the departure of young people and a lacks of jobs.

Serbia will vote later on 25 October, with the election campaign continuing. Aleksandar Vučić resigned as President for Serbia in order to run for prime minister, while Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić took over as Acting President.

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Best regards,

Sofija Popović
Newsletter Editor

In focus

The European Commission is expected on 6 October to propose significant changes to the way the EU takes decisions – without reopening the treaties – alongside an entirely new set of safeguards against democratic and rule of law backsliding in future member states.  

Fewer vetoes, clearer paths to membership: How Brussels plans for a bigger EU

Dear readers,

The Western Balkans is heading into a politically intense autumn, with elections, the continuation of institutional crises and renewed hopes of progress towards the EU all unfolding at the same time.

In Serbia, it is now clear that early parliamentary elections will be held in late October. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also heading to the polls, while in Kosovo there is still no clear end in sight to the political and institutional crisis. Meanwhile, Montenegro is hoping for a very different kind of political autumn. The government expects the EU accession process to accelerate further. At the same time, Prime Minister Spajić has warned in recent days that Montenegro is facing hybrid interference from two WB countries.

Since Serbia is entering what could prove to be a historic election, we have also brought back something for our readers. European Western Balkans has relaunched Serbia Elects, our dedicated section for coverage of Serbian elections. In the weeks ahead, this is where you will be able to follow the campaign, polls, and everything you need to know ahead of elections day. You can also follow Serbia Elects on X, where we will regularly share the latest updates and development throughout the campaign.

Sofija Popović
Newsletter Editor

In Focus

Serbia is entering the autumn of 2026 amid widespread expectations that the country is on the brink of decisive parliamentary elections. While President Vučić has been announcing possible snap elections for some time, he recently mentioned specific dates for the first time: 18 or 25 October. This implies that the elections would have to be called in the first ten days of September.  

[EXPLAINER] Serbia on the brink of decisive elections: How did we get here?