Evzoni border crossing jam disrupts Balkan summer travel

On June 1, the start of the summer tourist season, the Evzoni crossing between North Macedonia and Greece became severely congested. A power outage and limited lane operation caused long queues, with buses waiting up to an hour and cars facing multi‑hour delays. Serbian tourism agency director Aleksandar Seničić attributed the crowding to a religious holiday and the surge of travelers heading to Greek beaches, while Saša Zdravković of the traffic safety agency warned that prolonged stops increase driver fatigue and accident risk.

Greek authorities temporarily suspended the Schengen entry‑exit recording system during peak pressure to speed up crossings. Plans are under discussion to open two or three bus lanes to prevent future bottlenecks. Seničić advised motorists to use alternative border points such as Dojran or Medžitlija, where queues were shorter. By the next day, traffic flow had improved and the system was being adjusted for the July‑August peak period.