Without a credible path to EU membership, the Western Balkans could easily succumb to the lure of regional nationalism – and to generous Russian, Turkish, and Chinese offers in the EU’s own back yard
The French veto on North Macedonia EU membership shows that Brussels urgently needs a new approach to EU enlargement
The future high representative recognises the scale of the geopolitical challenge in the Balkans. But it won’t be up to him alone to meet this challenge.
The Green New Deal is the incoming European Commission’s lead priority. But it may struggle to battle on so many fronts at once.
Borrell will need to add depth to his dialogue team to ensure a comprehensive deal between Kosovo and Serbia
The main message for the Western Balkans is clear: countries in the region need to demonstrate a sufficient level of political governance before any technical process of EU accession can begin
The history of Kosovo is a banner under which the international far right assembles. Western politicians would do well to understand its dangers.
North Macedonia's recent successes have sent a ripple throughout the region
How many people live in the Western Balkans? The unreliability of statistics on the region often makes it hard to tell.
New civil protests are laying bare growing forms of repression across the Western Balkans