Balkans

Serbia's ruling party faces sustained protests after the fatal collapse of a renovated railway canopy in Novi Sad exposed years of unaccountable construction contracting, while Belgrade balances Western pressure over sanctions and energy assets against its ties to Moscow and Beijing. Albania's coastline has become a flashpoint of its own, as a Kushner-linked resort development draws mass protests, environmental warnings and scrutiny from Brussels even as the government defends the investment as a driver of growth. Together they trace a recurring regional pattern: political elites courting foreign capital and foreign patrons while facing domestic demands for accountability.