Chronicle of a day that was not noticed

“Balkirating the world” is not a play on words but reality, where the Balkans become the crossroads of fears, ideas and interests.

May 20, 2025 was an ordinary day with an unusual focus: in the shadow of headlines about elections and wars, some thirty news items passed that, on closer inspection, form not just a feed but the very relief of the region. Somewhere youth protests pulse, somewhere new wind farms are built, and somewhere countries build dialogue with the East while silently glancing at the West.

“We observe the Balkans as geography,” says the interlocutor, “when we ought to see them as the X-ray of history. Look for yourself—here’s everything: energy, refugees, and what remains of the romance of EU accession.”

The author nods in silence. Today is the day when the Balkans are not on the sidelines. Today the Balkans are writing Europe’s chronicle.

INTERNAL SHIFTS — SERBIA, ROMANIA, BULGARIA

Serbia — the trembling south

The day began loudly — the Novi Sad court placed three activists accused of plotting a coup under house arrest. Source — Balkan Insight — May 20, 2025

At the same time, Guy Verhofstadt, former Prime Minister of Belgium and longstanding critic of authoritarian trends, gave an interview emphasizing that Serbia’s student movement could change the country, but without a political programme it stands no chance. Source — European Western Balkans — May 20, 2025

“This is not just a protest,” adds the interlocutor, “it’s an attempt to declare: ‘We are different.’ But if you don’t specify how exactly you differ, it all dissipates into thin air.”

Romania — capital of new hope

In neighboring Romania, Nicușor Dan — mayor of Bucharest, mathematician and politician — won the elections and assumes the presidency. He faces three challenges: the budget deficit, alliance with the USA, and reforms awaited since the ’90s. Source — Balkan Insight — May 20, 2025

Symbolically: against the backdrop of fatigue with lethargic elites, a technocrat wins — not the Romanian-type “oligarch-reformer,” but rather the European bureaucratic idealist. It could become a turning point, if not destroyed by his own honesty.

Bulgaria — reflexes of power

And in Bulgaria, everything follows the classic script: after a transport workers’ strike, the government instantly offered financial compensation, effectively halting the protest. Source — Balkan Insight — May 20, 2025

The interlocutor grins crookedly:

“When the authorities don’t negotiate but simply ‘extinguish’ the flame — that’s not reform, that’s firefighting. And next time the blaze will burn hotter.”

But it’s not so linear. That same day Japan signed a strategic partnership agreement with Bulgaria, covering security and innovation—even direct military contacts are mentioned. Source — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — May 20, 2025

ENERGY OF THE FUTURE — GREEN BALKANICA

Bosnia and Herzegovina — a major solar project

In Bosnia, construction has begun on the country’s largest solar power plant. The 125 MW project is led by Aurora Solar, and has already become a symbol of the region’s green transformation. Source — Balkan Green Energy News — May 20, 2025

This is not just about energy — it’s infrastructure of trust: international investments flow where political and economic predictability is felt.

“You know what surprises me?” the interlocutor ponders. “That Bosnia, often associated with narratives of war, is now becoming the flagship of clean energy.”

Greece — wind exports

In southern Greece, another milestone: for the first time since 2000, the country has become a net exporter of electricity. The reason: growth of wind farms that generate not only for domestic consumption but also for export to Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Source — Balkan Green Energy News — May 20, 2025

This is a crucial signal: the Balkans are no longer a “black hole” of energy consumption, but a zone of resource distribution.

Regional scene — forums, projects, coalitions

Simultaneously, an energy forum took place in Belgrade where SANY Renewable Energy presented its cutting-edge wind technologies—thus entering the European market. Chinese investment is making a sharp, not entirely benign turn towards the center of Europe. Source — Balkan Green Energy News — May 20, 2025

“Every megawatt in China’s hands is also a geopolitical volt,” quips the interlocutor.

Meanwhile, the “Green Growth” Fund declared: despite the crisis, the Western Balkans responded with innovation and resilience, and that response is being heard. Source — Balkan Green Energy News — May 20, 2025

Gas — as a compromise

While some countries strive for 100 % renewables, others take the tactical gas route. Operators of the Trans-Balkan corridor announced the launch of a “super-package” of capacity at reduced tariffs. The benefit for Ukraine is obvious, and the Balkans gain access to a flexible energy transition. Source — ICIS — May 20, 2025

This approach is not “green” but “olive”—a compromise between reality and the ecological ideal.

London mining — the Balkan trace

London also influences the energy map: Adriatic Metals, operating in the Balkans, is negotiating a £700 million takeover. This could reshape the mining economy in Bosnia and Serbia. Source — Yahoo News — May 20, 2025

“Yet energy is not just about electricity, but about control over land. Whoever digs deeper sets the agenda,” notes the author.

MONTENEGRO — SMALL COUNTRY AT THE CROSSROADS

Geographically, Montenegro is a strip between the Adriatic and the Dinaric Alps. Politically, it’s the crossroads of East and West. Energetically, it’s a highway of interests, with a growing regional role.

Cyberfuture and digital identity

Oddly enough, let’s start with education: Montenegrin students joined a regional cyber camp in Durrës, Albania, where they learned to respond to cyber threats and bolster digital security. Source — Government of Montenegro — May 20, 2025

The interlocutor smirks:

“It’s fascinating how security is now built not through tanks but through protocols. It’s no longer the Yugoslav army; it’s a Wi-Fi army.”

Azerbaijan on the Adriatic?

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Miloško Spajić met with representatives of Azerbaijani companies. They discussed not only economics but also infrastructural connectivity. Source — Government of Montenegro — May 20, 2025

Simultaneously, Deputy Prime Minister Milun Zogović met with the EBRD head in the country to discuss European investments. Source — Government of Montenegro — May 20, 2025

The contrast is stark: one office negotiates with the East, the other with the West—all in one day.

“Montenegro as a switch: whoever offers credit faster gets the beach,” the author quips.

As public attention focused on the student camp, Deputy PM Zogović met Azerbaijani business reps to discuss construction and logistics projects. Source — Government of Montenegro — May 20, 2025

“Where the West is silent, the East builds,” the interlocutor says with a grin.

MIGRATION, SECURITY AND “RETURN TRANSIT”

Starmer and the idea of “return centres”

That same day British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Albania to solidify the fight against criminal networks organizing illegal migration. Source — Government of the United Kingdom — May 20, 2025

The interlocutor chuckles:

“This is what 21st-century colonial diplomacy looks like—you come not with tanks but with lawyers and expulsion agreements.”

Ironically, Albanian authorities immediately ruled out establishing “return centres” on their territory—the very centres that had been rumoured back in Britain. Source — The Guardian — May 20, 2025

But the visit made headlines, its symbolism working in full force. For Starmer, it was a chance to show “firmness” on migration; for Albanians, to demonstrate they don’t play along with just anyone.

The interlocutor turns it over matter-of-factly:

“Have you noticed how the Balkans have stopped being ‘an object’? Now they say ‘no’ even to the big players. And that is an important signal.”

THE BALKANS AND THE MILITARY-POLITICAL CONFIGURATION

General Breedlove: “You can’t leave the Balkans to Putin”

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Philip Breedlove warned the West about the danger of Balkan disintegration if interest in the region wanes. Source — BGNES — May 20, 2025

“Serbia knows the price of war. Europe must not blink,” he said.

“The analyst states the obvious,” smiles the interlocutor, “but sometimes you have to shout into someone’s ear for them to hear.”

Hungary, the USA and the shadow of the Balkans

That same day it emerged that the US and Hungary had improved relations after Donald Trump’s return, potentially affecting the Balkans. Source — Balkan Insight — May 20, 2025

It’s not just about diplomacy. Hungary is actively involved in projects in Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo, and closer US-Hungary ties could reshape influence balances, especially regarding Russia and China in the region.

The interlocutor is slightly irritated:

“When geopolitics says ‘influence,’ the Balkans hear ‘investments’… and then find themselves without either.”

Indeed: what is the price of security?

It may seem there’s nothing new: small countries, big stakes. But here’s the nuance: this time they are taking steps themselves, not waiting to be tugged by the collar in the “right” direction.

“All this dynamic is not just about guns, but about psychology. The Balkans are tired of being a ‘buffer zone.’ They want to be the ‘front line,’ because that’s a seat at the table,” the author concludes.

SUMMIT IN TIRANA AND SILENCE ON THE AGENDA

Summit of the European Political Community in Tirana — a thunder without an echo

On May 20, the sixth Summit of the European Political Community concluded in Tirana. Formally, everything was discussed—from climate to the war in Ukraine. But regional outlets kept asking: where, actually, were the Balkans on the agenda? Source — China.org.cn — May 20, 2025

Alba Cela: “Western Balkans in the shadows”

Political scientist Alba Cela wrote in a column for the Heinrich Böll Stiftung: “Yes, the summit took place in Albania. But the region itself was discussed only in footnotes—if it was discussed at all.” Source — Heinrich Böll Stiftung — May 20, 2025

“At such a meeting you could expect focus on Kosovo, Serbia, migration, reforms. But the Balkans were again background. Beautiful, yet empty,” notes the author.

The interlocutor is ironic:

“An ideal summit of ‘nothing.’ Everyone came, shook hands, took selfies—and departed thinking they’d achieved something important.”

An agenda without weight = a region without rights?

The problem isn’t that the Balkans weren’t mentioned. The problem is that even with their physical presence, they remain non-subjects of discussion.

This repeats summit after summit: Europe wants the Balkans to be stable, but doesn’t want to hear their voice. A contradiction breeding chronic frustration.

WATER, BORDERS AND THE RIGHT TO NATURE

Energy diplomacy: China in Belgrade

Chinese company SANY Renewable Energy presented in Belgrade its innovative wind technologies, reinforcing Beijing’s position in the Balkans’ energy sector. Source — Balkan Green Energy News — May 20, 2025

“When the Chinese wind blows, European interests sway slightly,” the author notes.

Circular economy — from slogan to structure

Amid local conflicts, there was also general optimism: within the European Sustainable Energy Week a political conference was held on transitioning to a circular economy in the Balkans. Source — Western Balkans Info Hub — May 20, 2025

And concurrently, the “Circular Economy 2025” forum opened, aimed at shifting from linear consumption to reuse and recycling. Source — The Balkan Forum — May 20, 2025

It may sound dry, but this is a strategic paradigm shift—especially in a region where waste is often exported and forests felled as firewood of hope.

The Balkans’ response to the energy crisis — innovation and ambition

Representatives of the “Green Growth” Fund declared: “The Western Balkans not only survived the energy crisis — they began to shape their own green path.” Source — Balkan Green Energy News — May 20, 2025

“If the idea of survival takes the form of transition — that is maturity,” the interlocutor summarizes.

“Here is the future,” says the author. “Not who is stronger, but who can build the cycle: from resource to product and back, without losses. And without kickbacks.”

A DAY IN THE MIRROR — WESTERN BALKANS BETWEEN STATUS AND STATUS QUO

May 20, 2025. Thirty news items. Ten countries. One region talked about from the outside—and trying to speak from within.

What unites this day?

— Political fragility: courts in Serbia, fear of protests in Bulgaria, hope for a new political figure in Romania.

— Energy transformation: from solar panels in BiH to Chinese wind expansion in Belgrade.

— Migration crossroads: Albania as both partner and rejector.

— Geopolitical seesaws: who looks West, who builds with the East, Hungary once again curtseying to the USA.

— Natural resources—new zone of conflict and agreement.

The interlocutor “lights a cigarette” (figuratively, of course):

“And what do you see? Winners? Losers?”

The author doesn’t answer immediately.

“I see fatigue. But I also see maturity. The Balkans are not Europe’s children. They are its mirror. Shouting, energetic, overflowing with stories no one asked for. Yet if you listen, they can tell you about the future too.”

The Balkans are not “a breeze through the window,” but a draft in Europe’s framework.

You don’t have to love them. You need to hear them in time. Otherwise, someone else—from the East or South—will tell them who they are and what they should be.

“Chronicle of one day is not just a digest. It’s a test of attentiveness. Those who looked saw. Those who listened will act. And those who missed it… well, the Balkans know how to remind you loudly.”