Balkans in March 2026: the most important developments in society
In March 2026 the Balkans saw opposition protests in Albania, contested local elections in Serbia and continuing disputes over Kosovo. In Albania, protesters at an opposition rally in Tirana called on the government to resign, and clashes erupted in the capital on 23 March. The German embassy had condemned violence after an earlier opposition protest in Tirana at the start of the month. On 5 March, 80 migrants were transferred from Italy to Albania on two charter flights.
In Serbia, President Aleksandar Vučić said on 14 March that Croatia was behind an attempted "color revolution" in Serbia. Local elections took place on 30 March amid claims of violence, and an activist said the town of Bor was no longer a free city. Serbia's pavilion at the Venice Biennale caught fire on 18 March. On 24 March Serbia marked the anniversary of the 1999 NATO bombing; Vučić called it a turning point for the world, and students honored the victims. On 30 March Vučić replied to the Croatian president over his visit to Jasenovac.
On Kosovo, ethnic Serbs voiced concern about Kosovo's Law on Foreigners, and the Serbian Patriarch appealed to the Pope, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to stop Kosovo, saying the law discriminates against Serbs. Kosovo granted one-year residence permits to Serbian students and educators. The Serbian opposition accused Vučić of betraying Kosovo Serbs.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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