Eastern Balkans in May 2026: the most important developments in politics
In May 2026, the most widely reported event in the Eastern Balkans came at the end of the month. On 29 May a Russian drone struck a residential building in the Romanian town of Galati. NATO and the EU condemned Russia, Romania declared Russia fully responsible, closed a Russian consulate and expelled a consul. The United States pledged to defend every inch of NATO territory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would support Romania in whatever way is necessary, and Slovakia's Prime Minister called for dialogue between the EU and Russia.
Earlier in the month, on 5 May, Romania's pro-European coalition government fell when Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan lost a no-confidence vote in parliament. The president said Romania would stay on a pro-Western path regardless of the vote, while the outcome raised doubts about the ability to carry out fiscal reforms. The Liberals decided to move into opposition. A court ordered the government to secure funds for magistrates' salary claims, and at month's end the government published a wage law for the budgetary sector for public debate.
In Bulgaria, the president gave the mandate to form a government to election winner Rumen Radev, while Boyko Borissov pledged constructive dialogue in the new National Assembly. Radev took office as Prime Minister on 8 May, when Progressive Bulgaria secured a majority, and said there was no time to waste. On 29 May he said Bulgaria would shorten the stay of US military aircraft over a visa issue.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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