LOCAL PRESS

Nikolic: We are doing things that will lead to de facto recognition; Wilhelm: At this time recognition is not a condition, but no one knows what will happen in 10 or 15 years (RTS/Tanjug/Beta/Politika)

“Serbia’s EU membership is imperative, but citizens of Serbia would rather live in poverty than have anyone recognize Kosovo on their behalf,” Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic told the German Ambassador to Serbia Heinz Wilhelm. Nikolic said that Serbia is committed to stabilization and peace in the region and that raising dialogue with Pristina to the highest level made a reversal in the direction of comprehensive stability. Nikolic said that he was affected by Wilhelm’s statement in a tabloid that before joining the EU, Serbia must recognize Kosovo’s independence and said it was probably a misunderstanding due to lack of communication. “You are right that at this point nobody is asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo, but little by little, we are doing things that will lead to de facto recognition,” the Serbian President underlined. Stressing that he wants to tell the citizens what Belgrade should sign with Pristina, Nikolic said that the question is why the EU, as a condition for membership, wants Serbia to sign an agreement with Kosovo, as well as whether the agreement is signed with an independent state or with a substantially autonomous province. “We are talking about the normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations and everybody has their own opinion of what this means. It is important to find a solution that would allow living as good neighbors, but I do not know what that solution should imply,” said Wilhelm. The German Ambassador expressed his belief that the demand to recognize Kosovo would obstruct further negotiations with Pristina. Wilhelm said that his statement was misinterpreted and pointed out that at this time recognition of Kosovo is not a condition, but no one knows what will happen in 10 or 15 years.

Dacic: EU accession progress major strategic goal for 2015 (Tanjug/Beta)

“Progress in EU integrations and the development of optimal relations with traditionally friendly countries that are not EU members, such as Russia and China, are the main strategic goal of the Serbian Foreign Ministry in 2015,” said Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic at a regular monthly press conference. “We will focus on preservation of regional stability and normalization of relations with countries in our neighborhood, especially with our closest neighbors, in order to avoid certain conflicts and to slowly resolve problems of the past.One of the problems in relations with Croatia is the status of Serbs, particularly the issue of domicile and residence. Our goal will be to have our foreign policy helping our internal policy, that is, work for the purpose of our whole country’s development, which means that, in the context of the planned diplomacy reform, a separate sector will be dealing with the issues of economy and attraction of foreign investors,” said Dacic. He pointed out that he had met with more than 50 foreign ministers, both bilaterally and on the margins of regional and international meetings, over the previous eight months. Speaking about the ministry’s future activities, Dacic said that a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of Serbia, Albania and Italy would probably be held in Italy on 23 January.

Ruling bloc accepts idea on referendum if EU requests recognition of Kosovo (Novosti)

If Belgrade would face an imperative condition to recognize Kosovo for the sake of EU membership, the ruling parties would support the idea of President Tomislav Nikolic to organize a referendum and for citizens to resolve this dilemma. The opposition is skeptical towards this scenario for the time being. The Chairperson of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun tells Novosti that if Serbia would be openly presented with the condition of recognizing Kosovo, then only citizens can say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. “Still, I believe that the possibility of presenting this imperative is the far future tense, but in the meantime, we should prevent the situation developing in this direction. One of the ways of preventing this is to present a solution for the status.” Zvonimir Stevic (Socialist Party of Serbia), also member of the Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, says that it is useful to articulate the state policy through the will of citizens: “This is also important for citizens to voice their stand when it comes to the policy towards Kosovo and Metohija.” Borislav Stefanovic (Democratic Party) tells Novosti that a referendum is possible only regarding the adoption of a new constitution, while any other reason is arriving from Nikolic’s “national quasi-patriotic option” versus Vucic’s that is losing the hard core of nationally oriented voters: “After their referendum in 1998 on whether foreigners can enter our territory, they have no more credibility to talk about a referendum.” Former minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanovic sees Nikolic’s idea on a referendum as running away from responsibility: “If he wanted to hear the people, then he should have done so during the signing of the Brussels agreement.”

Addis Ababa announcing change of stand on Kosovo (Novosti)

Serbia’s ally from the time of Tito – Ethiopia is threatening it will recognize independence of Kosovo if Belgrade insists that the country repays the debt of about $100 million, Novosti unofficially learns.Serbia has good relations with this state, but also two unresolved issues that could affect the change of the attitude of Addis Ababa regarding Kosovo and Metohija. As Novosti learned from its sources, it is an old debt for weapons, delivered to Ethiopia back in the 1950s, to which Serbia is entitled, as a successor of Yugoslavia. Also, the status of the building in which the Serbian embassy in Addis Ababa is settled is unresolved. The building was a gift to Josip Broz from Emperor Haile Selassie. According to Novosti, Ethiopian officials have already noted Serbia’s leadership that it would be good to resolve these issues – that Serbian diplomats move out of the building and that Belgrade write off the debt and related interest rate – in exchange for the country’s support regarding Kosovo and Metohija. Ethiopia is the seat of the African Union, consisting of 54 states of which so far only 22 recognized Kosovo. The change of attitude of Addis Ababa regarding Kosovo and Metohija would cause a domino effect of new recognitions, writes Novosti. Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic announced that in the next few days the agreement will be reached on which Serbian officials will travel to Addis Ababa to the African Union Summit, held from 26 to 31 January, which will be an opportunity to discuss the important issues with Ethiopia: “We will see if President Nikolic, Prime Minister Vucic or me will go there. In any case, we will be present at the summit because those contacts are very important for defending our interests. Hashim Thaqi does not hide that Pristina’s goal is to provide a convincing majority in the UN, and our goal is to prevent it.” The Serbian Foreign Ministry was informed that Pristina’s representatives are putting a lot of pressure on Latin American countries, but officials in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago informed the Serbian government that they will not change their decision on non-recognizing independence of Kosovo and Metohija.

REGIONAL PRESS

Members of Parliamentary Commissions of House of Representatives elected (Fena)

The House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H PA) deputies elected members of the six permanent commissions of the House of Representatives and members of the joint committee of both Houses. There were no discussions on these proposals expect for a statement by deputy of the Patriotic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BPS) Zaim Backovic who deputies to taken consideration of individual interests of deputies in future appointment of members of the Commission. At the beginning of the session member of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) Asim Sarajlic suggested that instead of Halid Genjac (SDA), Senad Sepic should be appointed to the Constitutional-Legal Commission of the PA. After the vote, the members of the Constitutional-Legal Commission are Sefik Dzaferovic and Senad Sepic from SDA, Aleksandra Pandurevic and Momcilo Novakovic from the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), Nikola Lovrinovic and Borjana Kristo from the Coalition of the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ) – Croat National Assembly, Lazar Prodanovic from the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats – SNSD, Zeljko Komsic from the Democratic Front (DF) and Damir Arnaut from the Union for a Better future of B&H (SBB B&H).

To the Commission for Foreign Affairs, the following are appointed: from the SDA Nermin Kapetanovic, Senad Sepic and Sadik Ahmetovic, Monika Tomic from HDZ, Mladen Bosic from SDS, Dusanka Majkic from SNSD, from DF Zeljko Komsic, Mirsad Djonlagic from SBB and Denis Becirovic from the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Semsudin Mehmedovic and Safet Demirovic from SDA, Miroslav Milanovic and Nikola Spiric of the SNSD, Nenad Lalic (SDS), Mensura Beganovic (DF), Nikola Lovrinovic (HDZ), Mirsad Mesic (SDP) and Zaim Backovic (BPS) will be members of the Commission for Foreign Trade and Customs. Members of the Finance and Budget Commission are Salko Sokolovic and Amir Fazlic from SDA, Vjekoslav Bevanda from HDZ, Nena Lavic and Aleksandar Pandurevic from SDS, Dusanka Majkic from SNSD, Jasmin Emric from the Party of Democratic Activities – A-SDA, Damir Becirovic from DF and Mirsad Isakovic (SBB). The following members will be appointed to the Commission on Transport and Communications: Semsudin Mehmedovic and Amir Fazlic from SDA, Momcilo Novakovic (SDS), Jovan Vukovljak and Anastasius Kosarac (SNSD), Hanka Vajzovic (DF), Fehim Skaljic (SBB), Mirsad Mesic (SDP) and Nikola Lovrinovic (HDZ). Members of the Commission for Gender Equality are: Nermin Kapetanovic and Sadik Ahmetovic from SDA, Mirsad Isakovic (SBB), Milica Markovic and Jovan Vukovljak from SNSD, Borislav Bojic (SDS), Maja Gasal-Vrazalica (DF), Sasa Magazinovic (SDP) and Diana Zelenika (HDZ 1990).

Members of the House of Representatives of B&H Parliamentary Assembly adopted the Draft Law on Customs Policy in B&H in the first reading, and did not support the Draft Law on amendments to the Law on the Council of Ministers, after which the session was ended.

Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of B&H Sefik Dzaferovic (SDA) announced that the next session of this House is planned for 15 January.

Mijatovic: Search of Klix newsroom attack on media freedom (Oslobodjenje)

Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE representative for media freedom, said after the search that police performed in the Klix.ba newsroom and detention of the editorial staff for interrogation, urged the B&H authorities to do everything in their power to stop prosecution of reporters and respect their right to protect sources. “This is serious and disproportionate interference with the rights of journalists to report on issues of public interest,” said Mijatovic, adding that, taking into account fully the rule of law, she considers this case “unacceptable treatment of the media in a democratic society.” She also pointed out that protection of sources is of key significance for investigatory journalism and that interrogating, questioning, and putting pressure on those employed in the media to reveal their sources is “simply unacceptable.” Mijatovic earlier expressed concern about the subpoenaing of Klix journalists by the Republika Srpska Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUPRS), after Klix released an audio recording. She noted that the Municipal Court in Travnik issued an order on 24 December by which FTV was prohibited from reporting on three police officers, MUP officers from Central Bosnia Canton. The police officers had previously filed a complaint against FTV for libel, because it reported on alleged illegal drug trade. “This is just another case that gives cause for concern about in which way the media and reporters are treated in B&H. The trend of violating freedom of the media must be stopped, and I urge the authorities to immediately address these issues,” said Mijatovic, in a statement from the OSCE.

Dodik “absolutely satisfied” with media freedom in RS (Oslobodjenje)

Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska (RS), says that he is “absolutely satisfied with the freedoms” that media employees have in the B&H entity. He believes that in RS there is no punishment of freedom of the spoken word. “No one has the right in RS to be dissatisfied by media information, if it remains at a professional standard,” said Dodik, appealing for greater responsibility for publicly spoken words and more truth in information. Public opinion in RS must, he argued, be stable and positive, not depressing and negative. He claims that the media are a significant segment of society that determines what is important at the present time.

At a reception for media representatives, he reiterated that the “key political goal of RS must be to strengthen its autonomy and the strength of its institutions.” “That constant goal will not stop even with the present structure of politicians, nor those who will come after us. The work on strengthening institutions demonstrates our capability to be able to manage processes and resources, which is the key for the issue of self-sustainability,” Dodik said.

American SSI: Bakir Izetbegovic is the leader of Islamic radicals in B&H (Dnevni avaz)

Current Bosniak member of the B&H Presidency and SDA Deputy Chairman Bakir Izetbegovic is the most prominent representative of Islamic radicalism in our country. These claims are made by a group of American non-governmental organizations gathered around the Institute for Strategic Studies (SSI). In an extensive report on the presence of Islamic radicals in Bosnia, SSI together with the US Army War College, and another five organizations, presented the activities of radical Islamic elements of the Sunni and Shiite provenance. Izetbegovic is marked as a person who from the beginning knew and was involved in all activities related to these elements. “It is unbelievable that Izetbegovic, who was the personal secretary of his father Alija, didn’t know about many of these activities. It is also unlikely that he had no information about bringing the Mujahedeen to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) during the war” – states the analysis. “Bakir, who was the director of the Institute for Development of Sarajevo, was involved in the construction of King Fahd mosque. His role in the implementation of the plan, that the land previously owned by Serbs is to be given as a gift to Saudi Arabia is well-known. This mosque, the largest in the Balkans, is also known for its role as a center of Wahhabis influence and power in B&H – say US analysts. They point out that all this is the negation of a modern Islam that is practiced in B&H. “Izetbegovic’s connection with the mosque suggests that he does not share the animosity that most Muslims in B&H have towards this type of practice of Islam”. “Bakir Izetbegovic is also known for his sympathy toward the Iran. During his mandate at the B&H Presidency the bilateral ties with Iran have been intensified and expanded, including trade and investment. In February 2013, during his meeting with the then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Cairo, Izetbegovic advocated for closer ties with Iran. While a small country like Bosnia and Herzegovina naturally seek to maintain good relations with the great powers, these initiatives are simply sticking out, as they come at a time when the United Nations, the United States and the European Union introduced new sanctions to isolate the regime in Tehran” – analysts say. The B&H media reports that are warning and placing under magnifying glass the activities of the Iranians in B&H are also mentioned. Quoting the text of Slobodna Bosna that questions the status and role of the Ibn Sina Institute in Sarajevo, as well as the position and activities of the so-called 200 businessman from Iran that are active in B&H. “The controversy has been further increased when Iranian officials got accused of having the links with Islamist terrorists. In the spring of 2013 Bakir became involved in a dispute with his political rival Fahrudin Radoncic, a former businessman and at that time Minister of State Security. Bakir has repeatedly intervened and opposed the deportation of two Iranian diplomats, which were declared “personae non gratae” by Radoncic, because of their “inappropriate activities” – says the report of US organizations. They point out that two out of three deported Iranians had constant contact with the Wahhabi leaders in Upper Maoca. Seven American analytical organizations, in their report, gave detailed recommendations to the US, NATO and the EU on how to act in B&H.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Serbian President Demands Kosovo Referendum (BIRN, by Ivana Nikolic, 29 December 2014)

In a sign of growing tension between him and the government, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on Sunday declared that any major decisions made on Kosovo must go to a referendum.

Serbia’s President on Sunday said that if the government makes key decisions on future relations with the former province of Kosovo under pressure from the EU, the issue must be put to the public in a referendum.

The people have a right to decide on whether to accept the EU’s conditions, Tomislav Nikolic told the TV show “Teska Rec” (“Hard Word”) on TV Pink on December 28.

“There must be a referendum. Whatever citizens decide, that will be. But if citizens then say [in a referendum] that I should sign Kosovo’s independence, I will resign,” Nikolic said, referring to European pressure on Serbia to recognise Kosovo’s independence.

Nikolic delivered the warning ahead of the publication of his own strategy on Kosovo – the exact details of which are unknown.

Political analyst Dusan Janjic believes the President will be pushing for the creation within Kosovo of a Serbian semi-independent statelet, similar to the Serbian entity in Bosnia.

According to Janjic, Nikolic wants “a [Serbian] state within a state, like the one in Bosnia”.

However, problems may occur if this goal conflicts with the government’s more conciliatory approach to the EU, he added.

“If he [Nikolic] insists on this policy, the President could block both the government and Serbia’s path to the EU,” Janjic warned.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008, and Serbia has consistently said it will never recognise this unilateral act.

However, the policy of non-recognition of Kosovo is encountering growing pressure from Brussels, which has made it clear that the dispute will have to be resolved one way or the other before Serbia can join the European club.

Nikolic announced on December 18 that he was drafting his own plan for Kosovo for which he would seek government support.

Although he did not reveal what his plan would include, he said he did not expect it to satisfy either Belgrade or Pristina.

Noting that Serbia’s priority was to join the EU, he said it remained unclear whether recognising Kosovo’s independence would be a condition.

“If the condition for membership is for us to recognise Kosovo’s independence, that would be a sign that the EU does not want us,” he maintained.

Serbia Seeks to Boost Renewable Energy Investment With New Law (Bloomberg, by Misha Savic, 29 December 2014)

Serbia seeks to unblock investment in renewable energy after adopting legislation that opens gas and power markets in line with European Union guidelines.

The parliament in Belgrade approved today a law implementing the EU’s Third Energy Package that fosters competition and helps regional integration of energy markets. The law, prepared in cooperation with Energy Community, a policy group for aspiring EU members, improves terms for investment in Serbian projects, Energy Minister Aleksandar Antic said.

The legislation guarantees “that the same conditions will apply from the start to the end,” Antic said during the debate. “It opens the door for energy investment, one of the most promising sectors that attracts huge interest.”

Serbia is struggling to bring energy consumption from renewables to 27 percent of the total by 2020 from 21 percent recorded two years ago when it made the pledge to the EU, even as it offers feed-in tariffs as an incentive. A net electricity importer, the Balkan nation saw its power output shrink after record rains in May flooded the main lignite mine supplying the largest thermal plant.

Purchasing Agreements

Legislative changes include streamlined power purchasing agreements for wind farms and other renewables to make such projects profitable, according to Antic.

“The floods exposed vulnerability of the whole system,” Ana Brnabic, a project director at Continental Wind Partners, said by phone. “It’s finally understood that there’s a need to diversify.”

Continental Wind wants to build a 280 million-euro ($341 million) wind farm of around 150 megawatts in eastern Serbia. The company came to Serbia in 2009 with a plan for a 300 megawatt facility.

“We put the second phase on hold,” Brnabic said, as potential investors wouldn’t accept only a non-binding power purchasing agreement before construction works began.

The new law sets the framework for “acceptable contracts” and “guarantees that entire output from renewable sources will be bought,” Antic said.

The amended rules don’t provide a complete guarantee of a reliable access to the power grid, according to Slobodan Ruzic of Belgrade-based consultancy Energy Saving Group.

Additional laws are needed to set deadlines for grid repairs and other disruptions when plant operators are unable to sell electricity to the state-run utility Elektroprivreda Srbije, Ruzic said by e-mail. Investors also need assurances they’ll be able to sell power in Serbia at market rates beyond the initial 12-year period of guaranteed tariffs, he said.

“Financing wind farms, or other big projects, won’t begin without resolving this,” Ruzic said.

On court order, police raid Bosnian news portal (Associated Press, 29 December 2014) SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Police raided the offices of a news portal Monday searching for clues about how journalists had obtained a recording of a phone conversation that said the governing Bosnian Serb party allegedly bribed two opposition lawmakers to win their votes in parliament.

Irfan Nefic, a police spokesman, says the raid by about half a dozen police officers was ordered by a Sarajevo court.

In an October election, the governing Independent Social Democrats narrowly maintained their majority in the parliament of the Bosnian Serb autonomous region. Prior to the vote, the portal Klix.ba posted a recording of a conversation during which Zeljka Cvijanovic, a top Independent Social Democrats official, allegedly said her party had paid two opposition lawmakers to ensure its majority.

Cvijanovic, who narrowly became regional prime minister after that election, claims the recording is a fabrication.

Monday’s raid of the offices in Sarajevo took about seven hours, and the portal said on its website that police confiscated laptops, hard drives from all computers, private mobile phones, USB sticks and CDs.

Dozens of journalists who work for other companies stood outside the building to oppose the raid, during which three Klix.ba workers were held inside. One of those employees glued a paper on an office window saying “Journalism is not a crime.”

Previously portal employees had refused to tell police the source of the recording.

“This is a blatant attack on media,” Dario Novalic, the head of the Press Council in Bosnia, a self-regulatory body for print and online media, said Monday. He said the portal is being accused of unauthorized phone tapping.

Bosnia’s Journalist Union said in a statement the police raid is “the most brutal attack on freedom of speech and journalist rights ever recorded in Bosnia,” and is designed to scare journalists of this portal as well as all other media.

Macedonia: Elections Fail to End Deadlock (BIRN, by Sinisa Jakov Marusic, 30 December 2014)

Election triumphs by the ruling party failed to resolve a prolonged political crisis while Skopje saw more ethnic rioting and the economy continued to improve.

A prolonged political crisis sparked by accusations of fraudulent elections, ethnically-charged protests, worries about freedom of the media and the judiciary and the absence of a breakthrough in the long-standing “name” dispute with Greece held Macedonia’s stalled Euro-Atlantic integration process hostage for the entire year.

Macedonia started the year in election mood, with parallel presidential and early general elections set for April.

The main opposition Social Democratic Party, SDSM sought to topple Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and his VMRO DPMNE party who have held power since 2006, saying he had turned Macedonia into an authoritarian and corrupt state.

As campaigning got underway in March, the ethnic Albanian junior partner in government, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, called for a new presidential election model that envisaged inter-party consensus on a new head of state. The party said a mutually agreed president would better represent ethnic Albanians who make up a quarter of the population.

After VMRO DPMNE rejected the idea, the DUI decided to boycott the presidential polls while fully participating in parliamentary elections.

Fraud claims spark boycott:

The election battle that followed was fierce with the opposition filing corruption charges against the Prime Minister over alleged bribery over a bank sale back in 2004. The SDSM also charged Police Minister Gordana Jankuloska with corruption for allegedly taking donations in cash. Both officials denied the claims.

Despite producing an audio recording, which they said contained the voice of the Prime Minister discussing the alleged deal, the charges were never processed by the prosecution. Gruevski later sued the SDSM leader, Zoran Zaev, for slander – and won.

The elections brought yet another victory for Gruevski’s party, which strengthened its grip in parliament. The party’s presidential candidate, the incumbent, Gjorge Ivanov, was also re-elected, beating his main rival, Stevo Pendarovski of the SDSM.

In the ethnic Albanian bloc, the DUI confirmed its supremacy over its main rival, the Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA.

Although the elections passed off peacefully and were deemed well administered, significant concerns were raised about the election process.

“The run-up failed to meet important OSCE commitments, including on the separation of state and party, on ensuring a level playing field, on the neutrality of the media, on the accuracy of the voters list and on the possibility of gaining redress through an effective complaints procedure,” the head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission, Geert Ahrens, said in April.

The opposition said it would not take up its seats in parliament after the elections, accusing the government of wining through fraud. It said the police ministry had tampered with the electoral roll and handed out fake IDs and addresses to people who were later escorted to vote in order to tip the scales in favour of the governments. The police dismissed the claims.

The absence of the 33 opposition MPs from the 123-seat parliament did not stop its work but the crisis reflected badly on the country’s already stalled Euro-Atlantic integration process.

In the wake of the elections, attempts were made by Brussels to bring the two sides together for talks but only one meeting between Gruevski and SDSM head Zaev was held, in June. It ended without success.

Ethnically-charged riots:

While the crisis in parliament continued, problems started to appear on another front. In May, rights groups accused the police of using excessive force to restore order in the Skopje suburb of Gjorce Petrov, after two days of ethnic rioting sparked by the killing of a young Macedonian.

The trouble started after the suspect for the murder of the 18-year-old man was arrested and was reported to be an ethnic Albanian. The victim, known as Angel P, had been stabbed to death after he caught up with a man who had stolen his bicycle. Police detained the suspect, named as Naser E, soon after.

Dozens of people were arrested, several police officers were injured and shops and cars were burned in riots directed against ethnic Albanians.

Not long after the turmoil in Gjorce Petrov, another ethnically charged storm gathered in July. This time, Albanians played the main role in what was arguably the fiercest ethnically motivated rioting that Macedonia had seen in a decade.

Violence erupted early in July when several thousand ethnic Albanians clashed with police in Skopje at a rally held against the jailing of alleged extremist Muslims found guilty of the murders in 2012 of ethnic Macedonians.

Running battles broke out in the city after protestors charged the Skopje Criminal Court building and riot police responded using tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons. Police said 20 officers and several protesters were injured. Dozens were arrested.Protestors denounced the life sentences handed down to six alleged Muslim radicals, Alil Demiri, Afrim Ismailovic, Agim Ismailovic, Fejzi Aziri, Haki Aziri and Sami Ljuta, for the killing of five ethnic Macedonians in 2012, in a case that raised ethnic tensions in the country. The court ruled that their aim had been to cause ethnic strife in the country that had been close to all-out ethnic war in 2001.

No movement on EU or name dispute:

In February, the Greek Deputy Prime Minister, Evangelos Venizelos, sounded a hopeful note on the possible resolution of the longstanding dispute over Macedonia’s name during his visit to Skopje – a rare visit by a high-ranking Greek politician.

“I have the impression that the government, the political system and civil society in Skopje are ready to participate in a dialogue not only on the name issue but also on the enhancement of bilateral cooperation,” Venizelos said.

But it all ended there.

In the year that followed, the UN mediator in the Macedonia Greece “name” dispute, Matthew Nimetz, did not produce any fresh compromise proposal.

In the few meetings he had with both sides, talks were held over the proposed compromise name he handed over in April 2013, which included the name “Upper Republic of Macedonia”. However, no progress was made.

In October, the European Commission issued its sixth consecutive recommendation for a start to Macedonia’s EU accession talks.

But, owing to the unresolved dispute with Greece over its name, to which Athens objects, the December European Council Summit again put off discussion on Macedonia’s stalled EU accession bid for 2015, and did not accept the recommendation for a start to Macedonia’s EU accession talks.

Both the European Commission and the European Council Summit meanwhile expressed concern about Macedonia’s politicized administration and the lack of political dialogue between the parties.

They also said Macedonia had slid backwards in terms of freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary.

Macedonia obtained EU candidate status back in December 2005 and European Commission reports have recommended a start to membership talks each year since 2009.

But it has never been offered a date for talks, or an invitation to join NATO, owing to the Greek blockade related to the dispute over its name, to which Greece objects. Greece insists that Macedonia’s name implies territorial claims to its own northern province, also called Macedonia.

Journalist’s struggle for freedom continues:

In the arena of concerns about media freedom, the legal struggle continued about the investigative journalist Tomislav Kezarovski who is appealing against a four-and-a-half year prison sentence passed by the court in late 2013.

His prison sentence and the long period of pre-trial detention drew criticism, prompting claims that the government was trying to stifle press freedom. It has denied involvement in the case.

The journalist was jailed in October 2013 for revealing the identity of a protected witness in a murder trial in an article he wrote back in 2008 where he pinpointed a possible case of police setting up fake witnesses.

Kezarovski spent six months in pre-trial detention in Skopje and was then released to house arrest, where he has been ever since.

In October, the International Federation of Journalists and the European Federation of Journalists urged the authorities to ensure that all charges against Kezarovski were dropped “so that justice and freedom of expression can prevail”.

In December, the Skopje appeals court judge Safet Kadriu told BIRN that a decision on Kezarovski’s appeal had been reached but must be formally verified before it is published. The published verdict is expected in less than one month.

Students oppose planned reform:

October and November saw mass student protests against a government plan for university reform whose stated aim was to improve the quality of high education.

In early December, over 12,000 students opposed to the government plan to introduce external, state-supervised exams took part in what looked like the biggest student protest to take place in Macedonia in decades.

The students, mainly from the state-run Sts Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, said the changes were unconstitutional and posed a threat to university autonomy.

The government however, refused to back down, blaming the protest on the opposition SDSM. The students said they were planning more rallies and a possible boycott of classes if their demands continued to be ignored.

Economy up but investment down:

Industrial output continued to increase. The latest data said industrial production from January to October 2014, in comparison to the same period last year, rose by 5.1 per cent.

After two consecutive quarters of negative growth in 2012, Macedonia exited recession at the end of 2012 and finished 2013 with annual growth of around 1 per cent. New data show that industrial output has increased for 14 consecutive months.

According to an economic forecast by the central bank for 2015 to 2017, Macedonia is expected to maintain average industrial output growth of some 4.8 per cent per year.

However, despite being ranked as the region’s top country for doing business, Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, was down this year compared to the same period in 2013.

In the first eight months of 2014, Macedonia attracted €176 million in FDI, which was 11€million less than the same period last year, data from the Central Bank show.

Put in perspective, Macedonia attracted only €251 million in FDI in 2013, which was the worst score in the region, below Kosovo, which attracted slightly more – €259 million.