Balkans in May 2026: the most important developments in politics
In May 2026 the Balkans' politics were dominated by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's visit to China. On 25 May, in Beijing, Xi Jinping awarded him China's friendship medal, praised the Sino-Serbian bond and called for greater cooperation, and the two leaders attended a signing of cooperation documents. Vucic also met Premier Li Qiang, praised China's rapid development, said his trust in China comes from experience, and offered top subsidies to Chinese companies. Earlier, Shanghai signed a memorandum of understanding for Expo 2027 in Belgrade.
At home, Vucic faced pressure over elections and the police. He delayed a decision on early elections on 6 May, announced elections on 21 May and said on 18 May that voting for students means voting for his list. Serbia is set to hold elections this year, with protests planned for June. An opposition leader said Vucic stole Serbia's European future, and an EU official said membership talks were stagnating or regressing. European Democrats blamed him for police violence during a Belgrade protest. Vucic accused police of protecting criminals, and on 31 May Interior Minister Milivojevic said the police badge would no longer protect criminals, while Vucic said he would not let police lose authority. He also discussed cooperation and Ukraine's EU path with Ukrainian President Zelensky, and sent Victory Day greetings to Putin.
Montenegro marked 20 years since its independence referendum, with NATO membership achieved and EU accession seen as the next goal. An EU official said accession could be possible by 2028, and Montenegro denied claims that France would block its entry. Vucic refused to attend a celebration in Montenegro and said he seeks no territory from it.
Elsewhere, Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama said the agreement letting Italy process asylum seekers in Albania will stay as long as Italy wants, contradicting his foreign minister, who said Albania would not extend it beyond 2030. Sentencing of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci was postponed by two months, and Slovakia set a condition for recognizing Kosovo. Bosnia and Herzegovina met all conditions for a NATO Membership Action Plan, and Janez Jansa retook the leadership of Slovenia.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.