Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 19, 2026
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
BIRN Reality Check: Verdict Nears in Case Against Greece’s Far-Right Golden Dawn
An appeals verdict is expected this year following the 2020 conviction of leaders and MPs of the extreme right-wing Golden Dawn party, but many of those put behind bars are…
Week in Review: Hopes, Dreams and Reality Checks in 2026
As the new year gets off to a cold start in the region, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories takes a look at the high expectations and sobering realities…
Greek Trial of 24 Aid Workers ‘Aimed to Criminalise Solidarity’
Rights organisations hail acquittal of 24 humanitarian workers who took part in migrant rescue operations in Greece, slating the trial as ‘an attempt to criminalise solidarity and demonise humanitarian organisations’.…
Greek Defence Doctrine Shift Not So Much ‘Heretical’ as Inevitable
A more holistic approach to defence announced by Greece’s defence minister is only logical in light of what the world has witnessed on recent battlefields. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Protesting Greek Farmers Block Highways for 48 Hours
After rejecting the government’s offered support measures, farmers on tractors are blocking Greece’s main roads and customs points. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Greece Unveils Measures to Tackle Farming Crisis as Protests Esclalate
As farmers continue 40 days of road blockades over high production costs and delays in subsidies, the government has offered new support measures. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Greece in 2026: External Shocks Risk Derailing Fragile Economic Revival
The long-suffering Greek economy is showing new signs of life. But much depends on the wider global environment – while population decline, water scarcity and the rising cost of living…
Balkan States Give Divided Reactions to US Strike on Venezuela
Albania and Kosovo applauded the Trump administration’s military operation against Venezuela's regime and the ousting of Nicolas Maduro, while other states in the region initially remained silent or called for…
Exposing Scams, Probing the Powerful: A Year of BIRN Investigations
As 2026 begins, we look back on some of the most important investigations published by BIRN in its 20th anniversary year – from brutal migrant-smuggling gangs and arms deals with…