Week in Review: Lifting the Lid

Controversial Venture

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban (L) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. EPA-EFE/Szilard Koszticsak

Is Serbia preparing to hand over its hydropower riches to a Hungarian company? This is the line that Serbian opposition parties are taking in relation to a leaked document about a potential joint venture between Hungarian MVM Group and Serbia's state electricity company EPS.

For its part, the Serbian Ministry of Energy and Mining has accused 'certain individuals' within EPS of spreading panic needlessly. Our analysis takes a look at what the leaked documents reveal about the blossoming business ties between Hungary and Serbia - and their two leaders.

Read more: Experts, Opposition in Serbia Alarmed by Leaked Hungarian Energy 'Offer' (May 25, 2023)

Unfair Coverage

Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama. EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

The Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama won another landslide victory in the Albanian local elections held a fortnight ago. Yet, as in previous election cycles, there was no shortage of criticism of the environment in which the elections were held.

In one of our stock-taking analyses in the aftermath of the elections, we take a closer look at the media environment ahead of the elections. Media monitoring suggests that the quality of reporting leaves much to be desired.

Read more: Albanian TV Election Coverage Unfairly Favoured Big Parties, Monitoring Shows (May 25, 2023)

Black Box

Albanian border soldiers stand near bunkers observing the border between Yugoslavia and Albania at the border post Cafa Prusit, 28 April 1998.. EPA/SRDJAN SUKI

Cold War Albania is rightly remembered as one of the most closed and...