Good morning,

Did you know that one of the developers of Ozempic, the groundbreaking diabetes drug that has also become a weight-loss craze, is a scientist from North Macedonia called Svetlana Mojsov? If not, it is probably due to the fact that women often get pushed aside in the scientific community and their contributions get sidelined by those of their male counterparts. Well, this morning we – as well as Time Magazine – celebrate this fantastic scientist and her latest recognitions.

Across the Balkans, it has been another colourful week. Kosovo and Serbia engage in a new round of antics, Croatia and Montenegro are suffering from a shortage of seasonal tourism staff, while Bulgaria is dealing with endemic corruption. Montenegro has, it seems, also joined the crime and corruption club.

Editor’s note
Marko Milikić

Macedonian scientist among 100 most influential people in the world

Svetlana Mojsov, a Macedonian chemist and associate professor at Rockefeller University, is among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people for 2024.

She played a major role in creating the famous drug for treating diabetes, Ozempic, which many celebrities have been promoting as a perfect drug for weight loss. This has resulted in its massive usage and a shortage for the patients that truly need it for health reasons.

Mojsov also received the prestigious Pearl Meister Greengard Award for this revolutionary discovery in treating diabetes. This is a distinguished international award that recognises outstanding female scientists.

Boban Ilijevski Mojsov hadn’t gotten any recognition for her research and contribution to the field for decades. She raised her voice when her colleagues at the Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Bruce Merrifield’s lab, where Mojsov’s career began in 1972, encouraged her to speak up.As women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields, especially in the Balkans, and their contributions often go uncredited, Mojsov’s story is a good example of recognition long overdue.

Sources: Nova Makedonija, The Rockefeller University, and Racin

Vučić and Osmani continue their confrontations

On Monday, the UN Security Council convened in New York for the biannual session on Kosovo, mainly to discuss a recently published report on the UN Mission in Kosovo’s efforts. In attendance were the Presidents of Serbia and of Kosovo, Aleksandar Vučić and Vjosa Osmani, respectively.

This led to a display of visible tension between the two parties, posing the question of how far each side will go to accuse the other for misdoings.

Osmani invited four Kosovo Albanian women who are survivors of Slobodan Milošević’s ethnic cleansing of Kosovo Albanians in the 1990s. In the session, she asked Vučić “whether he regrets” his involvement in the regime, recounting the suffering of the women present.

Vučić, in turn, responded by calling Kosovo’s treatment of its Serb minority an “ethnically motivated campaign.”

Jakob Weizman Aleksandar Vučić was an active member of parliament and served as minister of information during the 1990’s, under Slobodan Milošević’s leadership as president of Serbia and Yugoslavia.Vučić actively implemented strict media control during the Kosovo War, and supported Milošević’s ultra-nationalist policies which Kosovo Albanians were victims of. Osmani highlighted his complicity by publicly asking him if he regrets having done so.

Sources: Radio Free Europe, UNMIK, and X

Who is Erion Veliaj, PM Rama’s rumoured successor?

As the 2025 elections are nearing and PM Edi Rama is expected to win the public vote again, some are starting to ponder: what is the future of the ruling and dominant Socialist Party without Rama? Rumours say, Erion Veliaj might be the answer. Having had a very similar career in politics, and enjoying high levels of popularity among voters, it is his name most often being mentioned in the media as a potential successor.

Erion Veliaj has been the Mayor of Tirana since 2015, now serving his third and, legally, final term. Before this, Veliaj had worked as the minister for youth and social welfare. As mayor, he has focused on implementing Rama’s Tirana 2030 urbanism plan. His sometimes authoritarian methods of rule, as well as his strategies for attracting investments, have been broadly criticised, but he has stood firm.

Ariadna Mañé However, Veliaj’s current role and possible promotion as the next SP leader are in jeopardy, as three different corruption scandals involving some of his council’s officials, arrested by the anti-corruption body, are splashing onto him and, indirectly, the Socialist Party.

Sources: The Guardian and Politiko.al

Cost of the Crown

No European royal family is the same. Each government has a different way of funding them and each budget is spent on different assets. However, they all have a multi-million euro price tag!

Created by Meike Eijsberg.

Bulgaria, Montenegro ・ Deep issues

Bulgaria and Montenegro’s problematic routes

Gabriela Belichovska & Marko Milikić

Besides the joyous Balkan spirit and the wonderful natural scenery, what else may be common between Bulgaria, an EU member state since 2007, and Montenegro, an EU candidate state since 2012?

Corruption, violence, repression against journalists, and NGOs may be some of the answers, according to the US State Department’s latest annual report on human rights practices.

Bulgaria’s colourful 2023

For Bulgaria, the report underlines the lack of significant progress. One of the reasons behind this is once again police violence – both during protests, and in instances relating to detention. Data from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, quoted by the State Department, shows that 24% of prison inmates were physically assaulted while in police precincts.

The local LGBTQ+ community, women, and migrants are also pointed out as victims and groups that are being targeted.

The judicial system, which has also been grasping for foreign attention for years, is the probable cause for all other matters malfunctioning in the system. The Bulgarian constitution and legal changes helped its independence, but the “serious problems” in this field remain: “corruption, inefficiency, and lack of accountability.”

The report also warns of harassment and threats to journalists, including through strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), as the judicial system is not resilient enough to set clear standards with regards to this.

Not much different in the neighbourhood

Montenegro, as the leading candidate to be the next EU member state, has not improved much in fundamental fields according to the respective US State Department report.

Torture, inhumane treatment, and violence towards the LGBTQ+ community, as well as widespread gender-based violence, are just some of the issues that Montenegro was struggling with.

Additionally, the unreformed judicial system that we have reported on previously, alongside endemic corruption in all spheres of life, continue to hinder access to justice. The report rightfully questions the extent to which Montenegrin authorities are dealing with serious corruption cases, but also with cases in which public officials engaged in human rights violations.

Another big problem, that Bulgaria also struggles with, is deep political polarisation and a lack of consensus among the politicians on various issues. This in turn makes it difficult to deal with any other issue.

EU as a road to reforms?

If Bulgaria, as an EU member state, struggles with so many of the things that haunt Montenegro, one might wonder just how much EU conditionality and the accession process can truly reform the candidate states.

Perhaps the answer lies in the true political will to reform one’s country; although, that will seems to be missing across the Balkans.

Tales of Women at Sea exhibition in Sarajevo

The MESS Theater Festival, which works to preserve the memories of Bosnia’s difficult past, has also set out on a mission to highlight the stories of brave women who risked their lives in search of a better future.

The Memory Module of the theatre festival, through a newly opened gallery exhibition, captures the journey of Bintou, a woman from the Ivory Coast, whose life has seen many dangers, including a perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea where she was fortunately saved by a rescue crew. Christelle, a Cameroonian, is another woman who was saved from the Mediterranean Sea. The mother of three fled her violent husband, and many other women fled from similar situations, dealing with malnutrition, underpayment for hard work, genital mutilation, and many other atrocities.

The exhibition brings their stories and perspectives to the public. It is one of the first such initiatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Marko Milikić In a world where thousands of people die in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to reach a safe future, exhibitions like these make people realise the cost of dehumanising treatments of immigrants.In the Balkans, where the vast majority of people are completely detached from stories like these, the work of the creative team of the MESS theatre is incredibly valuable and might inspire people to be more compassionate.According to the International Organisation for Migration (IMO), 2023 “marked the deadliest year for migrants in the last decade, with 8,541 recorded deaths” – a lot of these deaths take place on the open sea, and so, many more are left unrecorded.

Sources: Radio Free Europe

On the brink of extreme poverty

“I lend money from my friends and close relatives to buy food and pay the bills,” said Daniel (name altered due to fears of getting fired). He is one of the 1,800 employees in the public enterprise “National Forestry” in North Macedonia  who haven’t received salaries or health insurance for two months.

The workers have been on strike since 1 April and all they got are empty promises.

Daniel works for a minimum wage of €365. “Our [the family’s] monthly expenses are from €600 to €700, so you can imagine how much more we need to cover them. My wife works seasonally and she doesn’t have a regular wage. It is a difficult life,” Daniel added. His job as a mechanic is crucial for the enterprise’s functionality because without him there won’t be anyone to fix the gear. Yet, his work is far from being adequately compensated.

What is more, this enterprise has a very important role, as it works on preserving North Macedonia’s more than two million hectares of forests, while also implementing the regulations on the exploitation of forests.

Boban Ilijevski TEC asked the enterprise’s manager why they haven’t paid their worker’s salaries yet. The reason he gave was the company’s financial crisis from last year. He hopes that the wages for February will be paid this month as they are waiting for a financial injection from the government.The workers will have to wait a while for the March wages. According to the manager, they will be paid during the autumn-summer season. The season for the company has started this month and will end in August.This is one of the many publicly owned enterprises in the Balkans that has been underpaying its staff or withholding payment completely, often citing external financial pressures and restructuring as the reasons.

Sources: Rabotnik

Montenegro, Croatia ・ Tourism and trouble

Seasonal staff scarce as demand surges

Milica Lipovac

As the summer approaches, so do Montenegro and Croatia’s continuous struggles with seasonal staff. Lack of proper wages, low interest from locals, and overall systemic hurdles are still here, after so many years. Therefore, panic mode is on – again.

Staff shortages in Montenegro

There is no official data on how many seasonal workers are needed in Montenegro, but it is estimated that the number exceeds 30,000, which is about 20% more than last year.

While the demand for seasonal staff is increasing due to new tourist facilities, the state does not have a systemic solution to the long-standing problem for the economic branch that brings more than a fifth of the income to the state vault.

Out of all European countries, the Montenegrin economy is the most dependent on tourism, according to data from the “World Travel and Tourism Council” research for 2021. As stated in the research, Montenegrin tourism accounts for 25.5% of Montenegro’s GDP. Just below Montenegro, in terms of the proportion of GDP accounted for by the tourism sector, is Albania with 17.4%, and Croatia with 16.1%.

Although there are over 37,000 unemployed people in Montenegro, which is about 14% of the population, most of the seasonal workers come from the region – BiH, Serbia, North Macedonia, and even Moldova. The greater demand for seasonal workers has increased their salaries, with which they usually have free accommodation and food. However, driven by the desire to make even more money, often they decide to go to Croatia, where the tourism season is twice as long, and with twice as much occupancy on the annual level compared to Montenegro, so it is possible to earn more.

Outflow of domestic labour force

The historically best pre-season in Croatia is underway, according to the country’s government. However, employers are still on the hunt for seasonal workers.

Contrary to the regional trend where Montenegrins, Bosnians, and Serbs come to work in Croatia, young Croats go abroad. Croatia hires workers from neighbouring countries, as well as from more distant countries such as the Philippines, Nepal, Mexico, etc.

However, the need for seasonal workers is growing, so that number is now estimated to be as high as 100,000. In some parts of Croatia, such as Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, catering schools cannot meet all the needs of catering and tourism, given the number of hotels and restaurants that are opening.

The Tourism and Hospitality Trade Union of Croatia states that the constant growth in the need for seasonal workers is the fault of the tourism sector. They believe that it does not change its bad practices and therefore, loses quality workforce. The main problems are salary and job security, that is, the insufficient number of contracts for an indefinite period. According to some estimates, the salaries of waiters who work the season in Croatia are twice as low as those in other competitive EU countries.

Permanent seasonal

Also, following the example of Croatia, some hoteliers and restaurateurs in Montenegro try to keep seasonal workers by paying them wages in the winter as well, reduced by 60 to 70%. This is similar to the “permanent seasonal” status, which has been systematically applied in Croatia for several years, where workers’ wages are provided by the state during the winter, and the employer is obliged to hire them again the following year.

The measure is available to employers from all industries who have periods of reduced workload during the year, due to the seasonal nature of business, and is mostly used by employers in tourism and agriculture. Although there was talk about it, something like this has not yet been institutionally applied in Montenegro, but remains a practice for a handful of businesses.

Problems with foreign workers

Employers need to obtain a work permit for foreign workers and spend at least a month stuck in the process. At the same time, the seasonal worker cannot work until they receive a work permit, and this waiting period is funded by the employer, paying for their accommodation and food.

Multiple proposals by businesses to allow seasonal workers to work from the moment they submit documents for a work permit remain unanswered by the authorities. Another widespread issue is the fact that these workers are extremely exploited, underpaid, taken advantage of, and represent a possibility to not hire local staff, who would have to be paid with living wages.

European Parliament approves Serbian-issued passports for Kosovo Serbs

The European Parliament has approved a regulation granting visa exemption to Serbian passport holders issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate, aligning them with other Western Balkan citizens regarding visa-free travel to EU member states.

Considered as a parallel structure by the Kosovo Government, Serbian-issued passports for Serbs residing in Kosovo will “negatively affect the integration process of Kosovo Serbs,” according to Kosovo authorities. By Kosovo law, they are still deemed illegal, meaning that Kosovo Serbs are unable to travel abroad from the Pristina airport.

The decision comes at the same time as Kosovo’s accession to Council of Europe membership is reaching its final stages, signifying a discrepancy in European policy towards Kosovo’s sovereignty. Furthermore, Kosovo’s government declared it as a “violation” of Kosovo’s territorial integrity.

Jakob Weizman Given that Serbia still considers Kosovo as a part of its territory, in addition to the Kosovo passport not being recognised by almost half of UN member states, some may deem it logical for Kosovo Serbs to seek out Serbian passports rather than Kosovo’s.Five EU member states also do not recognise Kosovo’s passport or sovereignty – Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania, and Greece, often due to the fact that they themselves have issues with regions seeking autonomy..Matjaž Nemec, a Slovene MEP,  maintained that this issue does not affect the Kosovo-Serbia situation, it only aims to ensure free movement and treatment for all Western Balkan citizens. However, concerns from the Kosovar side are piling up, and this decision by the EP does not seem to help resolve the overall conflict.

Sources: Radio Free Europe

Every day, our correspondents recommend one song to you. Today, Sara Čurić chose this one. We hope you enjoy!

Korake ti znam

Maya Sar

Maya Sar is one of the most underrated artists in the Balkans. Her angelic voice and emotional lyrics gave Europe major goosebumps when she graced the Eurovision stage back in 2012.

Listen on YoutubeListen on Spotify

〉Recommend a song for our next edition

Thank you for being with us on yet another Saturday. Stay informed, and see you in the next newsletter. Have a lovely weekend!

Take care

Marko Milikić
Leading Editor
for The Balkans