Balkan developments

published on 8/22/25 12:25 PM

Peaceful protests were held in Serbia against the detention of demonstrators

Students and citizens staged a peaceful protest in front of the court building and the prosecutor’s office in Novi Sad, calling for the release of all arrested participants from previous demonstrations. The peaceful protest was organized following clashes earlier in August between demonstrators and supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, after which eight protesters were charged with assaulting police officers and detained for up to 30 days, BTA reported.

Protests in Belgrade, August 15, 2025
Public discontent in Serbia has persisted for nine months, following the tragic collapse of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, which claimed the lives of 16 people. Serbian Police Director Dragan Vasilević reported that over 23,000 protests have taken place during this time, involving the deployment of more than 230,000 police officers to ensure public order. Meanwhile, Serbia’s Minister of Interior Ivica Dačić stated that in recent days, around 33,000 people in 49 settlements have taken part in peaceful demonstrations against the government blockades. “We will use everything at our disposal to restore peace and order in our country”, President Aleksandar Vučić said at the end of last week.

Bulgarians are pushing up real estate prices in Halkidiki

Greece reports a rise in property prices in its resort areas following Bulgaria and Romania’s entry into Schengen by land. This trend is most pronounced in Halkidiki, along the Kavala coastline, in Asprovalta and Thessaloniki, according to 24 Chasa daily. In Halkidiki, prices have surged from EUR 3,500–4,000 to EUR 5,000–6,000 per square meter, which has sparked protests from local Greeks over the unaffordability of vacation properties.

According to a report provided by the National Revenue Agency for 24 Chasa daily, 3,152 Bulgarians owned property in Greece as of December 31, 2024. However, these are only people who officially declared their ownership. The number of Bulgarians who have purchased property in Greece has grown by 48% over the past two years, 24 Chasa reports.

According to the Greeks, Bulgarians are widely renting out their properties without registration or paying taxes, advertising them on Bulgarian websites. The Professional Chamber of Real Estate Brokers in Halkidiki and the Central Union of Greek Chambers of Commerce and Industry intend to bring the issue of unfair competition by Bulgarian property owners in Northern Greece to the attention of the government.

Slovenia sends aid to Gaza using its own military aircraft

The Slovenian Armed Forces has sent the first of three shipments of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza, using its own Spartan C-27 military cargo aircraft, the Slovenian government reported, as quoted by BTA. The shipment for the war-affected Palestinian population contains food and blankets from the reserves of the Slovenian Armed Forces. Its total value, including transportation costs, is approximately EUR 880,000. Slovenia’s Minister of Defense Borut Šajović emphasized that for the first time in history, the country has been involved with its own military capabilities.

More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza, reported Reuters. According to health authorities, over 200 Gaza residents have died from malnutrition.

Recep Erdoğan draws attention to Turkiye's social network NEXT Sosyal

Turkiye’s new social media platform Next Sosyal (NSosyal) has attracted attention following the joining of several public figures, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The social media platform, developed by the T3 Foundation (Türkiye Teknoloji Takımı, T3 Vakfı), was launched in July 2025, BTA reported.

According to its creators, it offers a ''clean and secure'' alternative to global social platforms, allowing users not only to share information about various events, news and technologies but also to communicate in new ways thanks to the integrated artificial intelligence model — "T3 AI". The platform also features a disinformation detection model. President Erdoğan’s first post is titled ''We’re starting''. In it, he shares a quote from a poem by poet Erdem Bayazıt, which reads: ''A flower bloomed between concrete walls’''. TRT Global notes that the platform is rapidly gaining popularity, with the number of users already exceeding one million.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: danas.rs, EPA/BGNES, spiti24.gr, 24ur.com, bidogu.com.tr