Greek farmers ready to block highways and roads to protest rising energy costs

After holding a meeting near Larissa, Greek farmers announced they were determined to shut down major highways in the country to protest rising energy prices. Before doing that they are demanding a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Greece has some of the highest taxes on fuel in the EU, accounting for two-thirds of the end price.

“Diesel costs about 1.60 euros (per liter), while in other European countries it is 70 cents,” Asterios Tsikritsis, president of the farmers’ union in the city of Tirnavos, told the Associated Press.

Greek farmers have already blocked the national road connecting Larissa with Kozani.

“At present, it is questionable whether us and our flocks will survive,” said Argiris Bairachtaris, president of the Tirnavos animal farmers’ union.

Snap parliamentary elections in Serbia set for 3 April

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic has signed a decree on the holding of early parliamentary elections in the country on 3 April, as well as a decree dissolving parliament. President Vucic stated that the previous parliament had done a lot, especially regarding rule of law. Local by-elections are to take place in the country on the same date, including in the capital Belgrade. President Vucic urged Serbs to take part in the election “so as to demonstrate a democratic capacity as a country, and to show how important it is to adopt the plans and programmes for the future,” ТАNJUG reports.

Romania pushes ahead with judicial reform

The Romanian government approved a draft law on dismantling, by 31 March, the section of the General Prosecutor’s Office department investigating criminal offences perpetrated by judges and prosecutors. According to the bill, 12 prosecutors from the prosecutor’s office criminal investigations and criminology department of the Supreme Court of Cassation will investigate instances of alleged corruption among judges and prosecutors. Besides them, another 30 prosecutors from the prosecutors’ offices of the courts of cassation will also be empowered to investigate these crimes. The prosecutors will be appointed by the Romanian prosecutor general on a proposal by the Superior Council of Magistracy.

Every time a new Romanian government takes office it puts through reforms for control of the judiciary, invariably eliciting criticism from the opposition, Digi 24 TV comments.

Ilir Meta returns to presidential post in Albania

The Constitutional Court of Albania has overturned the impeachment of the sitting President of the country Ilir Meta by Albania’s Parliament over “grave violations of the Constitution”. The Court ruled that the evidence against Meta did not amount to “a serious violation" of the country's constitution which means he will continue to exercise his powers until the end of his presidential term of office on 24 July, 2022.

The ruling Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama set up a parliamentary committee of inquiry which presented its report, and on 9 June the MPs voted to oust the sitting head of state of Albania, RTSH TV reports.

Political crisis in Montenegro deepens

Mirko Stanic, an MP from the Social Democratic Party of Montenegro has filed a suit at the State Prosecutor’s Office against ex-premier Zrdavko Krivokapic, RTCG national TV reports. Stanic is suing Krivokapic over the latter’s decision for amendments to the Montenegrin Citizenship Law, taken at a government meeting on 4 February without consultation with the ministry concerned. Krivokapic is being accused of abuse of office. At the request of Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, on 4 February the parliament of Montenegro voted, at an extraordinary session, a motion of no confidence in the government of Zrdavko Krivokapic. The political parties are continuing negotiations on the formation of a new coalition or minority government.

After almost one century, first new church erected in Turkey

The construction of the first church in the Republic of Turkey is almost complete, with almost 80% of the church and the complex finished. The opening is to take place in summer, the Anatolian news agency reports. The belfry of the church, built on an area of 700 sq. m. close to the Roman catholic cemetery in Istanbul, is inspired by the historic monasteries in Mardin, Southeastern Turkey. The five-storey complex will have a community hall which will be used for baptisms, weddings and funerals, as well as for conferences. Saint Ephrem (Mor Efrem) in Yesilkoy district will be the second Syriac church in Istanbul.

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov