As winter comes, so does garbage. A river in Bosnia chokes in tons of waste year after year

VISEGRAD, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Dejan Furtula sighed with despair while looking at construction machines working around the clock to remove tons of trash clogging the Drina River near his hometown of Visegrad, in eastern Bosnia.

The environmental activist is frustrated because the problem is not new. Every winter, garbage carried by swollen rivers in the region accumulates downstream, eventually piling up by barriers installed by a hydro power plant in Visegrad.

“This is a clear example of the lack of political will and inactivity of all relevant institutions,” Furtula, who runs the Eko Centar environmental group, said. “They meet year after year and make promises, but as we can see these scenes repeat themselves."

The sight recalls scenes from environmental disaster movies — an otherwise emerald green surface of river thickly covered with plastic bottles, pieces of wood or furniture, rusty barrels, home appliances or even dead animals. Furtula said medical waste is also there.

“This is an ecological disaster,” he said. “The Drina is rich with fish and you can imagine the toxins that are being released here, there is virtually everything, it is a big catastrophe.”

The waste comes from illegal dump sites upstream in Bosnia but also in neighboring Serbia and Montenegro. Several smaller tributaries across the region float into the Drina, all carrying their portion of the garbage.

In summer, the rivers are popular with rafters and and nature lovers. The garbage problem culminates during winter months when swollen rivers sweep away illegal dump sites along their banks.

Officials from the three countries have pledged to work together to solve the issue. One such meeting of the environment ministers of Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro was held at the site back in 2019 but no solution appears to be in sight years later.

The situation illustrates how decades after the devastating 1990s wars in the former Yugoslavia, the region lags behind the rest of Europe both economically and with regard to environmental protection.

In addition to river pollution, many countries in the Western Balkans have other environmental woes. One of the most pressing is the extremely high level of air pollution affecting a number of cities in the region.

Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro all have been aiming to join the European Union. Tackling environmental protection is a key condition for the membership in the 27-nation bloc.

Furtula said there are various possibilities to deal with the garbage problem, including mapping the illegal dump sites and installing cameras and barriers in several municipalities, rather than allowing all the trash to come to Visegrad.

When pulled out, the garbage ends up at the local landfill, burning slowly and releasing toxic particles in the air, in what Furtula described as a “vicious circle” polluting his town.

“It is coming from three countries — Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia,” he said. “But no one would admit it's theirs.”

An aerial view shows tons of waste clogging the Drina river in Visegrad, Bosnia, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Workers use a crane to remove waste clogging the Drina river in Visegrad, Bosnia, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

A worker takes a break, backdropped by tons of waste floating as it clogs the Drina river in Visegrad, Bosnia, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

An aerial view shows tons of waste filling the Drina river in Visegrad, Bosnia, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

An aerial view shows a fridge and a car tire amongst other waste clogging the Drina river in Visegrad, Bosnia, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)