Balkans in April 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Balkans in April 2026, politics turned on the fallout from Hungary's election and on Serbia's unsettled election date. Filipče said Orbán's government had fallen and that Vučić and Mickoski were next, while Picula said Vučić and Republika Srpska's Milorad Dodik had lost a strong patron with Orbán's departure.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić began talks on early parliamentary elections, which he had said could be held by June, while the opposition boycotted. Through the month he said the date was unknown and was accused of timing the vote for political gain. By month end he was weighing a vote during the summer break, and the politician Ristic doubted a July vote and expected autumn. Relations with the EU were strained: Serbia had not aligned with three EU foreign policy decisions, the EU was considering freezing 1.5 billion euros in funds over rule of law concerns, and Vučić said Brussels backed the university rector over him. On 7 April he declined to join Hungary in blaming Ukraine for the war. On 23 April parliament saw unprecedented insults between opponents, and Vučić announced a major rally. A Serbian politician accused him of giving Kosovo away, and Serbia's leadership compared Kosovo to Crimea.
Montenegro moved closer to the EU: on 22 April the bloc began drafting its accession treaty, and the president aims for membership by 2028. The failure to elect a director of the anti-corruption agency remained an obstacle, and Milan Knežević threatened to leave the ruling coalition over a Kosovo initiative.
In Kosovo, the deadline to elect a president fell on 28 April with no vote in sight, and the opposition accused Prime Minister Albin Kurti of seeking an opponent only to secure a quorum. Elsewhere, an EU court lawyer backed the Albania migrant deal with Italy on 23 April, and Meloni welcomed it. In Slovenia, outgoing Prime Minister Robert Golob failed to form a coalition, and opposition leader Janez Janša chose to wait.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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