rfe/rl

The European Commission has called on Poland to suspend controversial judicial reforms it said would "have a very significant negative impact" on the Polish judiciary's independence, or face unprecedented sanctions as early as next week, RFE/RL reports.

Kosovo's Constitutional Court on June 28 cleared the way for a war crimes tribunal to prosecute former senior ethnic Albanian commanders from the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA/UCK), RFE/RL reports.

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo said on June 28 that they favor the idea of renewed talks in order to ease months of tensions between Pristina and Belgrade, RFE/RL reports.

In a Facebook post, Kosovar President Hashim Thaci said on June 28 that he had called Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to congratulate him on his April election victory.

The Western Balkan countries are poorer than they were 30 years ago, which is why they will need at least 25 years to reach the EU and therefore Germany has submitted a plan "Berlin process plus", said project director for the Balkans at the European Institute CIFE in Nice and member of the Advisory group for the Balkan policy in Europe (BiEPAG) Tobias Flessenkemper for the RFE/RL.

Photo: AP

Hashim Thaci has called early parliamentary elections for June 11 after the government collapsed following a no-confidence motion in parliament, RFE/RL reports.

Thaci announced the date for the vote on May 11, after holding meetings with Kosovo's political leaders.

AFP / Getty Images / A. Nimani

Opposition parties in Kosovo on May 5 filed a motion of no confidence in the government, in a new attempt to bring down Prime Minister Isa Mustafa's coalition government, RFE/RL reports.

Leaders of the European Union are voicing concern about "external influences" fueling divisions in the Western Balkans after recent moves by Russia and its Balkan allies to block closer ties with the West, RFE/RL reported.

EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini has urged Kosovo's political opposition to ratify a border-demarcation agreement with Montenegro, the last remaining hurdle before it can benefit from visa-free travel to Europe's Schengen zone, RFE/RL reports.

Mogherini on March 4 met with senior officials in Kosovo's capital, Pristina — the last stop on her tour of the Western Balkans.

Photo: Tanjug

BELGRADE - Serbian authorities said they have imposed restrictions on migrants in a camp near Belgrade after three men allegedly attacked a woman and her children near the refugee center.

Officials said migrants staying in the center in Obrenovac on the outskirts of the capital will need special permission to leave and must be back by 10 p.m. each night.

BELGRADE - Hashim Thaci has called on Serbia to "recognize his country's independence" and complete a process of normalizing relations "based on the values of the European perspective of the two countries."