As Balkan governments scramble to secure coronavirus vaccines, another foe lurks: an anti-vaccination movement that has been gaining ground and is now trying to grab the spotlight.
With vaccine sceptics ranging from renegade doctors to politicians and Serb tennis champion Novak Djokovic, misinformation about the pandemic has been spreading across social media as fast as the virus itself.
-Of course Serbs will reject that evil deadly thing- a Facebook user wrote about the new Covid-19 jab on the page of a prominent vaccine critic.
-Why do healthy people need a vaccine?- another asked.&nbsp;Among Europe's poorest nations, the Balkans will already struggle to purchase enough doses to cover their populations.
But countering widespread suspicions will be an additional challenge, as the Western Balkans have become a fertile breeding ground for the international anti-vax movement.
As North Macedonia's President Stevo Pendarovski summed up: -We must not allow... semi-literate charlatans and quack doctors to dominate the biggest names and institutions in science, who have saved millions of lives since the first vaccines appeared.-
His concern is well-founded. In October, a regional survey found that more than half of those questioned in most countries did not plan to get vaccinated, according to the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG).
For comparison, an Ipsos poll from the same month found that more than 60 percent of people intended to in countries such as Spain, Germany and the US.
Though some may simply be wary of the record-fast development of the Covid-19 shots, the Balkans are also home to a "strikingly" high belief in coronavirus conspiracy theories, BiEPAG found.
For instance, half of the respondents believed the virus was engineered by the Chinese government in a lab, and that the pharmaceutical industry helped its spread.
Around a third believed there is some truth to theories of a link to 5G networks, US military development of bio-weapons, and Bill Gates' intention to chip the world population.

Spanning social and geographical divides, conspiracy beliefs are "deeply embedded in all layers of society" in the Western Balkans, BiEPAG said in its report on a region that includes Serbia, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
The Balkans has long been a hotbed of misinformation, fuelled by low levels of trust in government and other institutions tainted by corruption and a lack of transparency. 
In Serbia, fake news can be found on the front pages of tabloids, which frequently declare the country to be on the brink of a war that never materialises.
Theories about the plots of enemies near and far also run rampant in countries where politicians are eager to shift blame for social and economic ills that have haunted the region since its 1990s wars.
The link to vaccination is worrying because studies show conspiracy theorists are also less likely to get a shot.
Anti-vaccination views "develop easily where people's trust towards authority is low," explained Zoran Radovanovic, a retired professor of epidemiology at the University of Belgrade.
-In the Balkans, after 30 years of deterioration, people don't trust authorities, including medical ones.-
There was scant resistance to vaccines while the region was part of communist Yugoslavia, which crushed Europe's last smallpox outbreak with a mass inoculation effort in the 1970s.
Scepticism has grown over the past five years, initially in response to MMR (measles, rumps and rubella) vaccines, which were falsely linked to autism.
Between 2015 and 2019, Serbia was one of six countries to report a "significant increase" in respondents who believed vaccines are unsafe, according to a study by The Lancet.
In 2018, Serbia reported a major increase in measles cases and deaths, which UNICEF attributed to pockets of non-vaccinated elders and "children under five years of age who were not vaccinated mainly due to parents' hesitancy".&nbsp;

Across the region, suspicions are fanned by a handful of rogue doctors, some of whom have garnered tens of thousands of followers on social media.
Their posts range from pseudoscience -- such as the benefits of walking barefoot for 15 minutes a day -- to articles about alleged dangers of the new Covid-19 vaccines.
In Serbia, the Twitter page of right-wing politician and psychiatrist Jovana Stojkovic was shut down owing to misleading information about vaccines alongside polemics against migrants and the LGBTQ community. 
-Doctors either don't know much, don't educate themselves enough or deliberately keep silent about the negative sides of vaccination- she told AFP, rejecting the "anti-vaxxer" label and saying she was for "freedom of choice".
In 2017, a group of doctors pressed charges against Stojkovic for "causing panic" with misinformation about vaccines and other falsehoods, such as a warning that non-vaccinated kids would be "taken from their parents."
Some young scientists are now trying to counter misinformation online.
In a popular Facebook post, a Serbian biomedicine student who is studying in the US broke the Pfizer jab down into its basic building blocks: the mRNA instructions on how to make a coronavirus spike protein, plus fat, salt, sugar and water.
-This vaccine is so natural and organic you can make Grandma's cake out of it- she wrote. 
But some mainstream medical professionals are also muddying the waters.
In Croatia, public healthcare doctor Lidija Gajski argued on TV that the technology behind some Covid-19 vaccines had not been convincingly tested, and that the "ratio between benefit and harm is unclear".
And a pulmonologist who previously sat on Serbia's government-appointed crisis team speculated about the shot's "effect on fertility", though there is no data to support such fears. 
-You give it to people, without testing it on mice first... that causes unease- Branimir Nestorovic said.
For many in the Balkans, online echo chambers have created a wide divide.
Amna Popovac, 50, "believes in modern science" and is eager to get vaccinated in the Bosnian city of Mostar.
But her 80-year-old mother won't, Popovac says. 
-She reads information on Facebook that I consider false, whereas she thinks I'm the one who reads false information.-

Misinformation about the pandemic has been spreading across social media as fast as the virus itself

Some Balkan governments will struggle to buy enough doses of the coronavirus vaccine to cover their populations

As the Balkans ready for vaccination, sceptics make a stand

Sweden, which has controversially relied on mostly non-coercive measures, struggled to contain an unexpectedly strong second coronavirus wave as the country's monarch on Thursday criticised the nation's failure to save lives.
-I believe we have failed- Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf told broadcaster SVT in a preview for a programme summing up the year released Thursday.
Analysts noted the unusually sharp tone of the message from the king, whose power is ceremonial and who typically refrains from commenting on political matters, with some calling it a rebuke of the Swedish strategy.
But questioned by AFP the Swedish Royal Court stressed that the comment was "unpolitical" and referred to the whole of Swedish society.
The capital Stockholm is once again at the epicentre of the epidemic and Lars Falk, a doctor at an intensive care unit at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, told AFP the second wave had hit much harder than they expected.
-We got three different scenarios from the Public Health Agency this summer. We prepared for the worst, and it turned out twice as bad- Falk told AFP.
Others regions are also seeing resources stretched thin.
On Thursday, Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare said the number of people receving hospital care for Covid-19 was now over 2,500, topping the previous peak in late April.
However, the number of people in intensive care is still only about half the level seen in April.

The total number of deaths associated with Covid-19 in the country of some 10.3 million reached 7,802 on Wednesday, with more than 500 people in the last week and over 1,800 since the beginning of November.
With few coercive measures and no face mask rule, Sweden has stood apart from most countries by relying on citizens' sense of "responsibility" and issuing mostly recommendations -- with no sanctions if they are ignored.
As cases have risen, authorities have urged people to limit social interactions to those in their household or a very small circle of friends.
However, some measures are binding, and on November 24 a ban on public gatherings of over eight people came into force, lowering the number from 50.
Contrary to media reports, the Scandinavian nation never targeted so-called herd immunity as part of its official strategy.
But health officials did argue that the high level of spread in the spring should weaken any second wave.
-I think we will have a relatively low even spread during the autumn, with clusters in different places- state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told broadcaster TV4 in August.
That seemed to be borne out for a while, as the second wave hit later and deaths remained low in October until numbers started rising again.

Asked about the king's comment during a Thursday news conference, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said they only affirmed what the government had already conceded.
-Of course the fact that so many have died, can't be considered as anything other than a failure- Lofven told reporters.
But for the strategy as a whole Lofven said that "it's when we are through the pandemic that the real conclusions can be drawn", adding that they had already acknowledged shortcomings in elderly care.
Over 90 percent of coronavirus deaths in Sweden have been among those aged 70 and up, and nearly half of all deaths have been in retirement homes.
The response has also been constrained in part by legislation, including a guarantee on freedom of movement enshrined in the constitution.
The government is preparing a temporary, one-year "pandemic law" it aims to have in place by March 2021, which will empower ministers to limit the number of people in public places and regulate businesses and services by restricting opening hours or even shutting them down.
Among Swedes, support for the strategy and confidence in authorities has generally remained strong throughout the pandemic.
But while a majority still has confidence in the Public Health Agency, a poll published by daily Dagens Nyheter on Thursday showed how the number of people with "high confidence" in the agency had dropped to 52 percent from 68 percent in October.

Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf: I believe we have failed

Among Swedes, support for the strategy and confidence in authorities has generally remained strong throughout the pandemic

Second virus wave pressures Sweden

Finns' penchant for relaxing in blazing hot steam-filled rooms was on Thursday put on the UN's list of the world's intangible heritage.
With an estimated three million saunas for 5.5 million people, the steam bath is a traditional Finnish institution which goes back hundreds of years.
-Sauna culture in Finland is an integral part of the lives of the majority of the Finnish population- the UN body said.
The culture "involves much more than simply washing oneself. In a sauna, people cleanse their bodies and minds and embrace a sense of inner peace", UNESCO said.
Saunas are ubiquitous in Finnish homes, blocks of flats and at swimming pools, where bathers gather often in the nude in temperatures of around 85 degrees Celsius (185F). 
Over the years, Finnish leaders have regularly invited their counterparts and foreign dignitaries into the sauna to continue discussions, and Cold War president Urho Kekkonen's "sauna diplomacy" became a keystone of Finland's relations with neighbouring Soviet Russia. 
But the practice has also come in for heavy criticism for excluding women, as the sexes usually bathe separately. 
In winter the sauna is often followed by a dip in a hole in the ice of one of Finland's many thousands of lakes, a ritual which many sauna devotees insist improves health and mental wellbeing.
The often quiet contemplation inside the sauna, alone or with others, is something of a sacred ritual for Finns, for whom regular churchgoing is rare.
Traditionally the sauna has also been the place where life began and ended -- up until the 1940s rural women often gave birth there, as the only place in the home with hot water and privacy, and the sauna is where the last rites were performed after a death. 
The term "sauna" is one of the few words from the notoriously obscure Finnish language to pass into international use, and the name is thought to have originally referred to the hot stones upon which water is thrown to create steam. 
For 11 years the Finns hosted a sauna endurance world championship although it was abandoned in 2010 after the death of a competitor in the 110 degree (230 Fahrenheit) heat.
However in 2019 the country successfully reclaimed the world record from China for the highest number of different nationalities in one sauna, when bathers from 101 different countries squeezed into an enormous steam bath in the capital Helsinki.

UN body: Sauna culture in Finland is an integral part of the lives of the majority of the Finnish population

The term "sauna" is one of the few words from the notoriously obscure Finnish language to pass into international use

UNESCO puts Finnish sauna culture on heritage list

Journalist Avdo Avdić, a close friend of the accused Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, was a guest on N1 television today and directly accused "Radončić's minister" of spreading disinformation, in order to reduce Lavrov's diplomatic defeat, that there was a problem with gas supply.
However, only an hour earlier, the director of "BH Gas", Jasmin Salkić, who is not a member of the Alliance for a Better Future at all, was a guest on the same N1 television and explained the new situation.
Salkić literally said:
- Capacities are ready for winter. I'm sorry someone abused that. Gas was properly ordered and paid for, everything was inspected. If there are policies with other things, there is always policies with the Russians and this shows what Russian influence means. The Southern Interconnection project that we are working on has proven to be a project that needs to be accelerated even more so that we do not panic even in a false spin - said Salkić in „Novi dan“ show.

After receiving the notification that our gas supply was reduced by 50 percent from Gazprom, the employees of "BH Gas" immediately contacted their Russian colleagues and it was determined that it was a technical error, N1 reported.
After this, it is completely clear that the problem with gas was not invented by "Radončić's minister", as it is malignantly imputed, but that Avdić probably did not follow the information just given on N1 Television, so in the gas evaporation, neither wrong nor guilty, the character of Radončić's Minister (Nermin Džindić) appeared, instead of the only competent director of "BH Gas" Jasmin Salkić (SDA).

However, on the same N1 television, only an hour earlier, the director of "BH Gas", Jasmin Salkić, who is not a member of the Alliance for a Better Future at all, was a guest and explained the new situation

Avdo Avdić against the facts about Russian gas

Huawei said Thursday it would open a manufacturing facility for mobile phone network equipment in France, the first of its kind outside of China.
At least 200 million euros ($245 million) will be invested to get the facility in the eastern town of Brumath up and running, creating 300 jobs initially.
Located near the border with Germany, the site aims to produce 1 billion euros of equipment per year for the European market.
-With this factory built at the crossroads of Europe, Huawei will enrich its already rich presence on the continent with 23 research and development centres, more than 100 partner universities, more than 3,100 suppliers and an effective supply chain- the company said in a statement.
The announcement comes as the Chinese telecoms giant is under pressure both from accusations by the US that its mobile network equipment is a spying risk as well as charges it has assisted efforts by Beijing to monitor Uighur Muslims.
Huawei has rejected accusations by Washington that Beijing could access its equipment to snoop on voice and data traffic, but an increasing number of countries including France have restricted if not outright banned Huawei equipment from their 5G mobile networks.
It also denied claims earlier this month that it had been involved in testing facial recognition software in China that could send alerts to police when it recognised Uighur minorities' faces.

At least 200 million euros will be invested to get the facility in the eastern town of Brumath up and running

The site aims to produce 1 billion euros of equipment per year for the European market

Huawei to open first network equipment factory outside China

The mayor of a city in eastern Ukraine, who first supported pro-Russian separatist fighters before switching to new pro-European authorities in Kiev, has died from coronavirus complications, people close to him said Thursday.
Long-serving Kharkiv Mayor Gennady Kernes, 61, wheel-chair bound since he was shot and wounded in mysterious circumstances in 2014, was transported to Charite hospital in Berlin in September after contracting Covid-19 and died there.
-Mayor Gennady Kernes died tonight after a long illness- the Kharkiv city council said in a statement Thursday.
Kernes was elected mayor of the industrial hub of Kharkiv near Ukraine's border with Russia in 2010 and re-elected for subsequent terms, the last time in October.
Kernes, who had a criminal record for theft and fraud, initially voiced support for Moscow-backed separatists when fighting broke out with Kiev's army following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.
He launched a harsh crackdown on the pro-Western demonstrations between November and February 2014, describing the protest movement as an "infectious disease".
After demonstrators in Kiev ousted the pro-Kremlin Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, he switched support to the new pro-European authorities and promised to battle separatism in Kharkiv. He had more recently voiced support for a "united Ukraine."
Kernes blamed pro-European Ukrainian officials for a shooting attack in April 2014 that left him unable to walk.
His friend businessman Pavlo Fuks described Kernes as having a "kind heart," saying the mayor died from complications due to the virus. 
Ukraine is one of Europe's poorest countries and suffers from ageing public health system.
Officials in the ex-Soviet state of some 40 million people have reported more than 931,000 coronavirus infections since the start of the pandemic.
President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as former boxing champion and Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko are among high-profile officials to have recovered after contracting the virus.

He was transported to Charite hospital in Berlin in September after contracting Covid-19 and died there

Controversial Ukraine mayor dies of coronavirus

A member of the Crisis Staff of the Federal Ministry of Health, Goran Čerkez, said at a press conference today that the situation with the coronavirus pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been stabilized.
- I will not say that the situation has improved, but it is evident that the number of infected people has dropped by over 10 percent, the number of hospitalized has dropped by over 13 percent. The number of people on a respirator ranges between 50 and 60. The number of deaths is declining. We brought the situation under control without a lock down. Due to the New Year holidays, we were unanimous to keep the existing measures. One or two days of joy, and to ruin the whole of January, I think there is no man with a developed consciousness to allow himself to do so. We are expecting two winter months when the covid is spreading more - said Čerkez.
He explained that in the recommendation for hoteliers same rules apply as for cafes.
- They can work for guests, but until 11 PM. There is no organized New Year's celebration. That means even those before 12 o'clock, in cafes, from 8 to 11 o'clock are also not allowed. This is something that would run counter to the measures. We invited everyone to celebrate the New Year as a family, it is a recommendation, not an order. We believe that any interference is a potential risk for Covid-19 transmission. Many countries gave a limit. We did not state anything, but we invited the citizens to celebrate the New Year with their families - said Čerkez.
He added that they have not yet received an answer as to whether a decision will be made at the state level that the country can be entered only with a negative PCR test, which was requested by the Federal Ministry of Health.

There is no organized New Year's celebration. That means not even those before 12 o'clock, in cafes, said Čerkez

Čerkez: The situation with the spread of the coronavirus has been stabilized

Čerkez: There are no public New Year's Eve celebrations, you can celebrate with your family

The health condition of academician Abdulah Sidran (76), a Bosnian poet, writer and screenwriter and columnist for „Dnevni Avaz“, is extremely difficult.
After being infected with the coronavirus, he was hospitalized in the General Hospital "Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakaš", and, according to the latest information, his breathing is supported by a respirator.
Reportedly, the famous writer is in an induced coma, and the doctors of this hospital are making superhuman efforts to provide Sidran, as well as other patients, with all the necessary care.

He is reportedly in an induced coma

Abdulah Sidran in serious health condition, attached to a respirator

Twitter has announced that it will begin removing misleading information about the COVID-19 vaccines from next week.
-Starting next week, we will prioritize the removal of the most harmful misleading information, and during the coming weeks, begin to label Tweets that contain potentially misleading information about the vaccines- the social media company said Wednesday in a statement.
Tweets that advance unsubstantiated rumors, disputed claims, as well as incomplete or out-of-context information about vaccines will be labeled and those tweets "may link to authoritative public health information or the Twitter Rules to provide people with additional context and authoritative information about COVID-19."
The company underlined that amid a global pandemic, vaccine misinformation presents a "significant and growing public health challenge."
Critics, however, accuse social media companies of censoring free speech, interfering in politics and reaching beyond their limits.
There are more than 74.2 million virus cases and nearly 1.7 million deaths globally, the Johns Hopkins University data showed.
Meanwhile, the worst-hit country by the pandemic, the US, hit a new one-day record by registering more than 3,600 deaths Wednesday. It has nearly 17 million cases and over 307,500 fatalities.

Tweets with rumors, disputed claims, incomplete or out-of-context information will also be labeled

The company underlined that amid a global pandemic, vaccine misinformation presents a "significant and growing public health challenge"

Twitter to remove 'misleading' posts about vaccines

Turkey’s strong historical, cultural, and humanitarian ties make the country an integral part of the Balkans, said Turkey’s deputy foreign minister.
-Economic and social integration in our region will enhance peace and prosperity. Besides, the integration will enable us to develop common responses to regional and global challenges- Yavuz Selim Kiran said at a digital workshop on Wednesday.
The digital workshop, titled COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities in Balkans was organized by the Center for Strategic Research with the participation of members of South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) member countries.
Noting that Turkey took over the term presidency of Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in July, Kiran said: "In our opinion, the main mission of this process is to bring all Balkan countries together around the same table. I am happy to see that we have achieved this goal through today's online meeting."
Kiran highlighted that since the beginning of the biggest crisis of the 21st century, the coronavirus pandemic, more than 70 million cases have been recorded worldwide, with more than 1.6 million deaths.
-Significant increase is being observed in COVID-19 cases in the Balkans. SEECP member countries recorded 3.5 million coronavirus cases and nearly 60,000 people died. These statistics clearly call for international and regional solidarity to tackle the pandemic- he added.
Kiran said Turkey did its part by extending its helping hand to 156 countries and 11 international organizations during the pandemic.
-In this context, I am pleased to state that we also provided medical assistance to the countries in the region. Besides the health crisis, the coronavirus has a serious impact on the social and economic structure of countries. We are witnessing an increase in socioeconomic inequality- he went onto say.
Speaking about COVID-19 vaccines, Kiran said: "We believe that vaccines should be offered to all human beings. Our scientists are working to develop domestic vaccine in Turkey. We currently have 16 vaccine candidates. 13 of them are on the World Health Organization list. Our aim is to share these vaccines with all countries in need."
Stating that the outbreak accelerated global change and brought some opportunities as well as difficulties, Kiran underlined that countries that can balance between tackling the pandemic and maintaining social and economic activities gain an advantage.
-The outbreak has accelerated the transformation in global supply chains. Our region can also benefit from this transformation. So, we have to be able to maintain our economic production and develop our commercial ties- he added.
Noting that the trade volume between Turkey and the Balkan countries is around €17 billion ($20.8 billion) and the total amount of Turkish investments in Balkan countries is around €14 billion ($17.1 billion), Kiran said that economic cooperation is an important part of the relationship.
-Turkey is taking an active role in maintaining peace and stability in Turkey. In addition to our efforts for stabilization through NATO and regional organizations, we also lead various initiatives with our friends in the Balkans, such as Tripartite Consultation Mechanisms.
--We continue to support the region's integration with European and Euro-Atlantic institutions- he added.

Turkey's strong historical, cultural, humanitarian ties make it integral part of Balkans, says deputy foreign minister

The digital workshop, titled COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities in Balkans

Economic, social integration in Balkans enhance peace

The historic Bosnian town of Mostar, a gem of 15th century Ottoman architecture, has not held an election since 2008. On Sunday it has a chance to shake off years of political paralysis.Despite drawing millions of tourists, the town is suffocating under uncollected garbage and it still bears the scars of war from the 1990s: local echoes of a similar dysfunction at the national level in Bosnia.
The town of around 100,000 has not held an election for 12 years because its Catholic Croats and Muslim Bosniaks were unable to agree on electoral rules, a row that illustrates the ethnic tensions that brought war to Bosnia three decades ago.
But the dispute has been settled, thanks to a 2019 court ruling won by Irma Baralija, a philosophy teacher who filed a suit against the Bosnian government at the European human rights court for failing to hold elections in Mostar.
-They just stole all those years of democracy from us- said Baralija, a Bosniak who is standing for the multi-ethnic Our Party in Sunday’s city government election.
-We simply must take a step forward to the future, we cannot live in the past anymore.-
Twenty-five years since war ended, Bosnia faces a choice, analysts say: either it reforms and moves on from ethnic politicking towards European Union integration, or it falls deeper into decay and stagnation.
In Mostar, voters face the same question, with potential new leaders such as Baralija campaigning on bread-and-butter issues rather than on the ethnic agenda that has bogged down Bosnia for 25 years.
Political experts expect multi-ethnic parties to win some councillors, although perhaps not enough to seriously damage the two-party nationalist majority. But new members will at least be able to challenge council decisions.
Croats outnumber Bosniaks in Mostar by less than 5%, but people from both groups are leaving the town because its economy has been ruined by mismanagement.

The Croatian HDZ party and the Bosniak SDA argued for years over electoral boundaries, until the court decision forced them to accept a proposal almost unchanged from a decade ago.
During that time, the HDZ and SDA, which share power nationally in Bosnia’s autonomous Bosniak-Croat Federation, have drafted the Mostar budget together and it had been approved each year by the region’s parliament. Citizens say money was spent without rigorous controls or transparency.
-What we have seen in Mostar in the past 12 years was lawlessness and anarchy ... with only two men running the town- said Slaven Raguz, head of the opposition Croatian Republican Party (HRS).
-Mostar has become a paradigm of Bosnia, in which ruling elites have tailored society according to their needs, living off taxpayers’ money and not showing any responsibility towards the people they are supposed to represent- Raguz said.
The acting mayor declined to comment and the finance minister did not immediately answer telephone calls and emails from Reuters. Mostar’s young people, facing Europe’s highest rate of youth unemployment of 40.2% and a society marred by ethnic rivalries and corruption, will be voting for the first time in their town.
-It means a change, we’ll finally have a city council so something should be happening- said Zvonimir Bioksic, 22, a Croat student of mechanical engineering, while taking a stroll in the town centre with his Bosniak friend Djani Fejzic.
The two young men defy prejudices about Mostar’s divisions.
-Why would the town, which has so many bridges, be a synonym for divisions- Fejzic asked. -I am all for connecting.-
Marin Bago, an activist who will run on a list of independent candidates called “The Right to the Town”, says Mostar has been divided only in peoples’ minds.
-The deepest emotion in Bosnia is fear, remaining from the war- Bago said, pointing to ruins that date from the fighting that began in 1992.
-We are looking at them for 28 years, it is frustrating because there is no reason nor excuse to watch the ruins for 28 years.-

The town of around 100,000 has not held an election for 12 years

An election sign is seen in front of a house that was destroyed during the 1992-1995 war, in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina December 14, 2020.

For Bosnia, historic Mostar is a test for change

B&amp;H Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik congratulated US President Joe Biden on winning the elections.- In the capacity of the chairman of the Presidency of B&amp;H, as well as the representative of the Serbian people in this institution, I congratulate on the election victory and the mandate won in one of the most important and influential positions in the world - the position of President of the United States - said Dodik.
He stressed that the United States, with which the Serbian people have shared friendship and alliance for more than a century, is one of the authors and guarantors of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which "stopped the bloodshed and civil war in B&amp;H in 1995. and established a constitutional system in B&amp;H based on equality of two entities and three constituent peoples ”.
Dodik reminded that the date of harmonization, November 21st, is celebrated as an important holiday in RS.
- It is clear that for the Serbian people, and for me personally, it is unacceptable to mark November 25th, the date taken from the previous, communist regime of SFRY, as well as the date that announced the beginning of the civil war in B&amp;H, March 1st - stated Dodik.

For the Serbian people, and for me personally, the celebration of November 25th is unacceptable, said Dodik

Dodik congratulated Biden on winning the mandate

After Fahrudin Radončić, the leader of SBB, the presidents of SDA, SB&amp;H and BPS Bakir Izetbegović, Amer Jerlagić and Sefer Halilović expressed their support for the “Coalition for Mostar 2020” with their arrival in the largest city on the Neretva yesterday.Željko Komšić, the president of DF, the party that, in addition to these four, also makes up the Coalition, will visit Mostar today.
Denis Zvizdić, vice president of the SDA, who is one of the coordinators of this pro-Bosnian bloc in Mostar, also attended yesterday's joint meeting with the representatives of the Coalition.
Izetbegović said that the first big step for Mostar was made at the moment when the voters in that city were given back the opportunity to choose.
- Now further steps follow, real unification and reconciliation of the people in Mostar. This should be a city of prosperity, a united city where young people want to stay and see the perspective, a city of developed tourism and economy, everything that Mostar deserves to be. I am convinced that a team of young people, led by Dr. Zlatko Guzin, can make us see such Mostar - said Izetbegović.
Jerlagić said he hoped this was finally a victory for democracy in Mostar, and Halilović said he came to Mostar to support the Coalition, which he believes has the best candidates.
- Mostar should belong to the people of Mostar, we expect the citizens to choose the best - he said.

Dr. Zlatko Guzin, holder of the city list of the Coalition, said that this visit of the party presidents was a sign and signal that they had synchronized, coherent and very correct cooperation of all parties of the Coalition in this campaign.
- On December 20th, I would like to use the opportunity to invite the citizens of Mostar to go to the polls for this holiday of democracy, after 12 years, and to circle on the ballots the names they believe in and believe they will best represent their interests - said Dr. Guzin.

This should be a city of prosperity, a united city, the SDA president said

Yesterday in Mostar: A message to the citizens

Party leaders expressed support for "Coalition for Mostar"

All eyes in BiH, but also in the Western Balkans, are on the newly elected President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, according to political scientists from B&amp;H, Serbia and Croatia.
In the last few weeks, at least five international conferences have been held on the situation in B&amp;H, the need for constitutional reforms, and the fight against corruption. In addition to international conferences on B&amp;H, a debate was held in the US Congress.

Political scientist from Zagreb Davor Gjenero told "Avaz" that Biden had already announced that he would not observe the situation in B&amp;H peacefully, as the previous administration did.
- Serious political actors who are interested in participating in these processes are on the scene again. I was very impressed by the congressional debate and it seems to me that a democratic America will be the initiator of the consolidation process - Gjenero believes.

He added that, apparently, the new administration in the United States does not think that Republic of Srpska is there forever.
Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo, Sead Turčalo, points out that expectations from Biden are high.
- But in a way, it should be dimensioned, so that there would not be great disappointment, bearing in mind that the new administration will first have to solve internal problems in the United States. The new administration will definitely facilitate the activities of other actors in B&amp;H, first of all the EU, the OHR, and finally its diplomats who are in charge of this region - Turčalo explained.

Things are moving in the direction of stronger American engagement in B&amp;H and the region, says Aleksandar Popov, a political analyst and director of the Center for Regionalism in Novi Sad.
- If this transition in the USA did not last this long, I think we would already have some action. It is obvious that the situation in B&amp;H is unsustainable and things are going further. However, the USA and the EU have their problems, but I expect that significant changes will take place in the foreseeable future, primarily because Biden knows the situation in B&amp;H well - Popov pointed out.

The executive director of Transparency International B&amp;H, Ivana Korajlić, says that B&amp;H could fight corruption from within, but only if there was a will.
- However, the implementation of reforms is not in the interest of those who need to implement them. That is why the international community is constantly seen as a solution and that nothing can be done without their pressure. We saw that the pressure of the citizens did not bear fruit, because the political elite is not interested in the citizens - Korajlić pointed out.

<h2>Russia has more important problems</h2>

- These days, Russian diplomacy is frantically repeating that the division into two entities is sealed and definite, and if they need to emphasize that, then it is clear that they have information that the other side does not think that the division is something that cannot be discussed. The fact that Russia is still loud should not scare us, because they have their own geopolitical interests that they have to resolve - Gjenero emphasized.

Gjenero, Turčalo, Popov and Korajlić for "Avaz"

Biden: He announced stronger engagement in B&H and in the Western Balkans

All eyes are on Joe Biden

Germany on Thursday reported a daily record of new coronavirus infections of more than 30,000, as it struggles to cope with the outbreak with a fresh partial lockdown.
The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases, which is managing reporting for the country in the pandemic, revised its initial total of 26,923 for the previous 24-hour period saying around 3,500 more cases had come to light.
-For technical reasons some 3,500 cases from (the southwestern state of) Baden-Wuerttemberg were not reported. The problem has been fixed and the cases are being reported today- it said on its website. 
Germany has recorded a total of 24,125 deaths, up by about 700 in one day.
Long considered a European example for effective management of the coronavirus pandemic, Germany had managed to keep infection and death rates relatively low for several months.
But beginning with end of summer holidays and the onset of colder weather, the virus began spreading at an exponential rate and the system of testing and tracking could not keep up with the outbreak.
A shutdown of restaurants, bars and cultural venues that was lenient compared to those of many European partners from November 2 failed to get the spread of the virus under control.
From Wednesday, the country has been on partial lockdown with non-essential shops and schools closed.
The new curbs will apply until at least January 10, with companies also urged to allow employees to work from home or offer extended company holidays, under the measures agreed by Chancellor Angela Merkel with leaders of Germany's 16 states on Sunday.

Germans are urged to limit their social contacts to another household, with contact limits to be eased slightly between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

They have  recorded a total of 24,125 deaths, up by about 700 in one day

Germany has struggled with the second wave of the virus

Germany sees record daily virus infections of over 30,000

Today, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the five cities in the world where the highest concentration of pollution was recorded.
According to the measurements of the "Air Visual" station, today Sarajevo is on the fourth place in the world list of the most polluted cities in the world, and the air quality was assessed as "unhealthy", with an air quality index (AQI) of critical 188.
Also, Sarajevo was at the top of this list last night at around 9 PM, with an AQI of as much as 320.
At the top of the list is currently Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek, whose AQI is 288, followed by Pakistan's Lahore, Dhaka, followed by Sarajevo, while in the fifth place is Krakow.
Belgrade and Warsaw are also on the list of the 10 most polluted cities in the world from Europe.

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UNESCO puts Finnish sauna culture on heritage list

Avdo Avdić against the facts about Russian gas

Huawei to open first network equipment factory outside China

Controversial Ukraine mayor dies of coronavirus

Čerkez: There are no public New Year's Eve celebrations, you can celebrate with your family

Abdulah Sidran in serious health condition, attached to a respirator

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Economic, social integration in Balkans enhance peace

For Bosnia, historic Mostar is a test for change

Dodik congratulated Biden on winning the mandate

Party leaders expressed support for "Coalition for Mostar"

All eyes are on Joe Biden

Germany sees record daily virus infections of over 30,000

Today, Sarajevo is among five most polluted cities in the world

News

As the Balkans ready for vaccination, sceptics make a stand

Second virus wave pressures Sweden

UNESCO puts Finnish sauna culture on heritage list

Avdo Avdić against the facts about Russian gas

Huawei to open first network equipment factory outside China

Controversial Ukraine mayor dies of coronavirus

Čerkez: There are no public New Year's Eve celebrations, you can celebrate with your family

Abdulah Sidran in serious health condition, attached to a respirator

Twitter to remove 'misleading' posts about vaccines

Economic, social integration in Balkans enhance peace

For Bosnia, historic Mostar is a test for change

Dodik congratulated Biden on winning the mandate

Party leaders expressed support for "Coalition for Mostar"

All eyes are on Joe Biden

Germany sees record daily virus infections of over 30,000

Today, Sarajevo is among five most polluted cities in the world