—🇮🇱/🇽🇰/🇵🇸 NEW: Israel has welcomed Kosovo’s readiness to contribute to peace efforts in Gaza, with Ambassador Tamar Ziv stressing that the move reflects growing ties between the two countries.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇲🇩/🇲🇩 NEW: The Transnistrian de facto authorities in Tiraspol have requested a meeting with the Moldovan government in Chișinău, officially citing the need for guarantees for Transnistria’s residents and their return to permanent places of residence.

➡️ The move appears prompted by Moldova’s withdrawal of citizenship from separatist figure Mova and the refusal to allow him entry into the country.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇽🇰/🇷🇸/🇷🇺 NEW: Kosovo PM Albin Kurti told the London Defence Conference that Serbia is acting as a proxy of Russia.

➡️ He claimed there are 48 Serbian forward operational bases around Kosovo’s border, all located inside what is formally designated as the NATO security zone.

➡️ He added that the Kremlin maintains an office within Serbia’s Ministry of Defense in Belgrade and that the Balkan regional centers of Russia Today and Sputnik are based in Serbia.

🗒 Note: the picture just illustrates the claims of PM Kurti but does not assume they are true.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇸🇮 NEW: Zoran Stevanović, leader of the Resnica (Truth) party, has been elected Speaker of Slovenia’s parliament with 48 votes in a secret ballot, backed by the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) of Janez Janša and other center-right allies.

➡️ His election strengthens the emerging center-right bloc and increases the likelihood that SDS leader Janez Janša will assemble the numbers for a fourth government once coalition negotiations conclude.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—☪️ 🇦🇱/🇨🇭 NEW: The Albanian Muslim community has withdrawn its plan to turn the historic Läufferhaus in the village of Siebnen, canton Schwyz, into an Islamic cultural center after a residents’ petition opposing the project gathered around 5,000 signatures, largely organized by the conservative SVP.

➡️ The association says it is shelving the project “for now” and will seek an alternative location in consultation with local authorities to avoid further tensions.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—UPDATE: The Federation of BiH government tried to insert a contentious “state property” amendment into the Southern Interconnection gas law at the last minute, but swiftly withdrew it and passed the original version instead, after what local media describe as direct US intervention and pressure in Sarajevo.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🛢🇭🇷/🇭🇺 NEW: Croatian PM Andrej Plenković says Hungary can fully replace Russian crude via Croatia’s Adriatic pipeline and Krk terminal.

➡️ He accused Viktor Orbán’s government and MOL of spreading a “false narrative” that Zagreb lacks capacity to supply Hungarian and Slovak refineries.

➡️ Plenković insists JANAF’s transport capacity exceeds the maximum output of the Százhalombatta and Bratislava plants, effectively offering Budapest a route to end its dependence on Russian oil if it chooses to use it.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇷🇸 Serbian Empire: a brief but explosive Balkan powerhouse

➡️ The Serbian Empire under Stefan Dušan reached its peak in the mid‑14th century, briefly dominating much of the Balkans and parts of the Byzantine world before rapidly fragmenting after his death in 1355.

➡️ In just a few decades, Serbia expanded across modern-day Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and northern Greece, but weak succession and internal divisions left the empire vulnerable to Hungarian pressure and the advancing Ottomans.

🔗 Imperator Cat

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇺🇸/🇦🇱 NEW: Former New York City mayor Eric Adams has been granted Albanian citizenship under a special decree signed by President Bajram Begaj, following a request submitted by Adams himself.

➡️ Albanian and US media note that the move formalizes Adams’ long-cultivated ties with Albania and its diaspora, which he highlighted during previous visits and in public statements.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

#BREAKING | 🇭🇺 — Hungarian opposition Tisza Party, led by Péter Magyar, has secured a parliamentary majority and is on track for a two-thirds constitutional supermajority.

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#BREAKING | 🇭🇺 — Hungarian opposition Tisza Party, led by Péter Magyar, has secured a parliamentary majority and is on track for a two-thirds constitutional supermajority.

The Global Eye | Subscribe

#BREAKING | 🇭🇺 — Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar says incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has congratulated him on his victory in the parliamentary elections.

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#BREAKING | 🇪🇺 🇭🇺 — EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says "Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight."

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🇭🇺⚡️— Péter Magyar:

Together we have replaced the Orbán regime, together we have liberated Hungary, we have taken back our homeland.

🇪🇺 Legion Europa | Group Chat 🇪🇺

—🇷🇴/🇭🇺 Romanian President Nicușor Dan:

Congratulations Péter Magyar and Tisza Party on your landmark victory! The Hungarian people have spoken with a clear and powerful voice.

Romania and Hungary are neighbours, partners and fellow EU and NATO members. I look forward to building a new chapter in Romanian-Hungarian relations, based on mutual respect, open dialogue and our shared commitment to European and Euro-Atlantic values.

There are great opportunities to work together on regional security, economic cooperation and the welfare of our peoples.

Felicitări! Gratulálok! 🇪🇺

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇭🇺/🇷🇺/🇪🇺/🇺🇦 NEW: Hungarian leader Péter Magyar said Hungary will continue purchasing oil from Russia and sees no reason to reconsider the country’s decision not to take part in the European Union’s planned €90 billion loan package for Ukraine.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇭🇺/🇪🇺/🇺🇦/🇷🇺 NEW: Hungarian leader Péter Magyar said he opposes fast-track EU accession for Ukraine and insists that Ukraine’s EU membership should be decided by a national referendum in Hungary.

➡️ He added that he expects EU sanctions on Russia to be lifted after the end of the war in Ukraine.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇭🇺/🇷🇺 NEW: Hungary’s incoming leader Péter Magyar said his new government will seek “pragmatic cooperation” with Russia, warning that a halt to Druzhba pipeline deliveries would threaten Hungary’s energy security and must be urgently addressed.

➡️ He added that he wants to discuss future energy agreements directly with President Vladimir Putin in order to secure stable oil and gas supplies.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English