Nevena Bogdanovic is a correspondent based in Belgrade for RFE/RL's Balkan Service.
A spray-painted image of wartime Bosnian Serb leader and convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic has been put under police guard after ultranationalists objected to efforts to erase the divisive image from a wall in Serbia's capital.
President Aleksandar Vucic has pledged to take down a notorious criminal group with ties to hooligan fans of Belgrade's storied Partizan soccer team. But a month after a police sweep, troubling signs have emerged.
One of Europe's most influential former diplomats has taken aim at perceptions that Europe has done little to help the Balkans as they grapple with the coronavirus pandemic and puts China's contributions in perspective.
As the leaders of Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia press on with plans to ease cross-border traffic, getting their other Western Balkan neighbors on board could make all the difference.
Among themselves, ethnic Albanians can say it, and often do. But a Serbian minister has crossed a line by using a slang word referring to them.
