Finding friends: Europe, Serbia, and the lithium catalyst
A new EU agreement on lithium could improve aspects of governance in Serbia – if the bloc makes the most of this new partnership with Belgrade
Western Balkans
6 May
Geopolitics of Enlargement: Ukraine Strategy
This webinar will discuss current revisions of the EU approach to enlargement policy and the security implications for Ukraine and the neighborhoods
Cultivating enlargement: How a green win in the European Parliament election could help the Western Balkans
The EU’s green agenda is threatened by a predicted surge to the far-right in the upcoming European Parliament election. Against this, mainstream candidates should remind voters that climate policy is not only necessary for decarbonisation, but an essential tool for EU enlargement
Separate to integrate: EU enlargement and the trouble with bilateral disputes
That EU enlargement is a geopolitical imperative is no longer in doubt. But to make enlargement happen, the EU may need to decouple bilateral disputes from the accession process
Depopulation blues: How immigration can counter emigration in the Balkans
To tackle the political and economic challenges posed by shrinking populations, Balkan governments need to approach immigration as an opportunity, rethinking their policies and political messaging
28 Mar
Rethinking & Reshaping: EU Enlargement in times of war
Russia’s war against Ukraine has prompted European policymakers to rethink their approach to enlargement. What form does this new approach take, what are the opportunities for EU and candidate countries, and what is the European Political Community’s role?
Backsliding in Belgrade: The state of Serbia’s European future
Serbia is rapidly veering off its course for accession. Last month’s potentially fraudulent general election and Belgrade’s increasing distance from EU foreign policy should worry those in Brussels
12 Dec
How to convince the European public to enlarge the EU
This event will discuss new polling data of six key EU member states in the enlargement debate (Germany, France, Denmark, Austria, Poland, Romania) and reveal what voters think about the geopolitical imperative of EU enlargement
6 Dec
L’allargamento e il futuro dell’Unione europea
Secondo appuntamento di una serie di tre working lunch realizzati congiuntamente da ECFR Roma, SDA Bocconi e l’Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi University
30 Nov
Uninterrupted support: What Ukraine needs from the EU in the Long War
Ahead of the European Council in December where accession talks with Ukraine are expected to be opened, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is…
Publications
The politics of dialogue: How the EU can change the conversation in Kosovo and Serbia
A new agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is a welcome step – but the EU can transform the situation by setting out clearer accession prospects for both countries
The past and the furious: How Russia’s revisionism threatens Bosnia
Russia is working to keep Bosnia divided. But many of the country’s problems are homegrown or exacerbated by neighbouring states
Decade of patience: How China became a power in the Western Balkans
As European and US ambivalence towards the Western Balkans persists, the region will be in increasing danger of falling into an endless spiral of competition between various foreign actors
Bosnia to war, to Dayton, and to its slow peace
It will be difficult to sustain progress for Bosnia or the region without a credible and clear EU accession process
Viral vulnerability: How the pandemic is making democracy sick in the Western Balkans
The covid-19 crisis has accentuated Western Balkans countries’ pre-existing vulnerabilities – but has not brought about a new political era in the region
Hostage state: How to free Bosnia from Dayton’s paralysing grip
Restoring independence to the judiciary and strengthening the rule of law are key to the country’s future stability and success
The power of perspective: Why EU membership still matters in the Western Balkans
The EU should demonstrate its commitment to the Western Balkans by encouraging countries there to resolve their outstanding disputes
From myth to reality: How to understand Turkey’s role in the Western Balkans
Introduction To display the YouTube video provided by Google, click the button below. This means Google will receive technical data about your device or browser,…
Luck like the Irish: How emigration can be good for the Western Balkans
Introduction Few parts of Europe are more marked by emigration than the Western Balkans.[1] Yet despite many decades of its people leaving…
The Way Back: Brain Drain and Prosperity in the Western Balkans
The EU should do more to promote circular migration as part of their ongoing pursuit of European integration
Articles
Finding friends: Europe, Serbia, and the lithium catalyst
A new EU agreement on lithium could improve aspects of governance in Serbia – if the bloc makes the most of this new partnership with Belgrade
Cultivating enlargement: How a green win in the European Parliament election could help the Western Balkans
The EU’s green agenda is threatened by a predicted surge to the far-right in the upcoming European Parliament election. Against this, mainstream candidates should remind voters that climate policy is not only necessary for decarbonisation, but an essential tool for EU enlargement
Separate to integrate: EU enlargement and the trouble with bilateral disputes
That EU enlargement is a geopolitical imperative is no longer in doubt. But to make enlargement happen, the EU may need to decouple bilateral disputes from the accession process
Depopulation blues: How immigration can counter emigration in the Balkans
To tackle the political and economic challenges posed by shrinking populations, Balkan governments need to approach immigration as an opportunity, rethinking their policies and political messaging
Backsliding in Belgrade: The state of Serbia’s European future
Serbia is rapidly veering off its course for accession. Last month’s potentially fraudulent general election and Belgrade’s increasing distance from EU foreign policy should worry those in Brussels
Caught red handed: Why the EU and the US should not keep faith in Vucic
Serbia’s partial withdrawal of troops along the border with Kosovo should not be enough to quash fears of Serbian aggression, instead the EU and the US must reevaluate their relations with the country’s president
Violence in North Kosovo: How the EU and the US can break the cycle
Escalating violence in the north of Kosovo undermines the already difficult dialogue process. The EU and US need to address this destabilisation head on
Before it’s too late: How the EU should support the Western Balkans’ EU accession
With Russia’s war on Ukraine raging on its eastern border, EU enlargement in the Western Balkans has a new geopolitical urgency. The EU must commit to supporting their accession – and a fixed date like 2030 alongside a staged approach will add credibility to this commitment
Deterrence starts in the Balkans: How NATO allies can prevent military escalation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
As NATO convenes in Vilnius, Kremlin proxies are undermining Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty. Allies need to formulate a diplomatic strategy to prevent a military crisis
A toxic friendship: The significance of Hungary’s energy cooperation with Serbia
The new energy cooperation between Hungary and Serbia threatens to undermine the EU’s energy sovereignty and pull Serbia further from the EU
Specials
Mapping China’s rise in the Western Balkans
China is building up its influence in the Western Balkans through projects focused on everything from energy and infrastructure to culture, education, and media. If the European Union is to achieve its geopolitical goals in the region, it will need to understand the nature of competition with Beijing in all these areas
Podcasts
China’s strategic approach to the Western Balkans
How much influence does China already have in the Western Balkans and how should European policymakers react?
How to deal with our Western Balkan neighbours?
North Macedonia and Albania wanted to start negotiations with the EU after having been candidate countries since 2005 and 2014. But the enlargement plans seemed…
Macedonian referendum: What happens next?
Mark Leonard speaks with Vessela Tcherneva and Robert Cooper about the contested result and how it might be solved. Bookshelf: Carnegie report on…
Conférence publique avec Hashim Thaçi, Président de la République du Kosovo
Conférence publique avec Hashim Thaci, Président de la République du Kosovo, modérée par Sylvie Kauffmann, Directrice éditoriale au Monde. …
New chaos in the Balkans: what role left for the EU?
Mark Leonard talks with the director of ECFR's office in Sofia, Vessela Tcherneva and the director of ECFR's Wider Europe programme, Fredrik Wesslau about the…
Francisco de Borja Lasheras, director de la oficina de ECFR Madrid, entrevista a Andreja Stojkovski, en Skopje, Macedonia.
Francisco de Borja Lasheras, director de la oficina de ECFR Madrid, entrevista a Andreja Stojkovski, presidente del Macedonian Centre for European Traininng, en Skopje, Macedonia
The Yugoslavia War Crimes Tribunal: A Model for Justice or an Anomaly?
Listen on Mixcloud What does the ICTY’s track record suggest about the future direction and potential of the International…
Futuro de la ampliación de la UE en los Balcanes Occidentales y el papel de la sociedad civil
Listen on Mixcloud Francisco de Borja Lasheras participó el pasado 26 de febrero en la Conferencia Internacional “Civil Society…
Rebooting EU foreign policy part 2 – Spiros Economides
In the second of two podcasts, Spiros Economides of the London School of Economics argues that the EU needs to think strategically about how…
Rebooting EU foreign policy part 1 – Nick Witney
Nick Witney, co-author of the ECFR publication 'Rebooting EU foreign policy', explains the need for a rethink of how the EU deals with the…
Events
6 May
Geopolitics of Enlargement: Ukraine Strategy
This webinar will discuss current revisions of the EU approach to enlargement policy and the security implications for Ukraine and the neighborhoods
28 Mar
Rethinking & Reshaping: EU Enlargement in times of war
Russia’s war against Ukraine has prompted European policymakers to rethink their approach to enlargement. What form does this new approach take, what are the opportunities for EU and candidate countries, and what is the European Political Community’s role?
12 Dec
How to convince the European public to enlarge the EU
This event will discuss new polling data of six key EU member states in the enlargement debate (Germany, France, Denmark, Austria, Poland, Romania) and reveal what voters think about the geopolitical imperative of EU enlargement
6 Dec
L’allargamento e il futuro dell’Unione europea
Secondo appuntamento di una serie di tre working lunch realizzati congiuntamente da ECFR Roma, SDA Bocconi e l’Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi University
30 Nov
Uninterrupted support: What Ukraine needs from the EU in the Long War
Ahead of the European Council in December where accession talks with Ukraine are expected to be opened, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is…
14 Apr
Представяне на доклад – Да разцъфтят хиляди контакти: Как Китай се съревновава за влияние в България
Гледай на Фейсбук Софийският офис на Европейския съвет за външна политика има удоволствието да Ви покани на представянето на новия доклад…
11 Mar
European Security Cooperation with Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans
This high-level event will discuss ideas and recommendations that ECFR policy fellows Nicu Popescu and Gustav Gressel make in their 2020 policy brief on the security compact, and to extend these ideas to the Western Balkans
2 Mar
China in Europe’s periphery. How China became a power in the Western Balkans
The virtual roundtable, “China in Europe’s periphery. How China became a power in the Western Balkans”, will bring a small group of experts, officials, NGO and media representatives together in a discussion on China’s embedding in the region
14 Dec
Dayton at 25: The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina
This two-day conference marking the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement gathered a distinguished line-up of speakers to discuss the challenges facing the country and to explore options for transatlantic cooperation in the Western Balkans
11 Dec
In the media
The impact can be described as nonexistent. Orbán is an isolated leader within the EU, has no partners and fails to establish constructive dialogues
Teresa Coratella on the impact of Viktor Orbán’s Hungary’s rotating presidency of the EU Council
The language of RNM Deputy Prime Minister Nikoloski is unacceptable. His statement shows the consistent use of the anti-Bulgarian card in domestic politics
Vessela Tcherneva comments on the new Commission portfolios, the case of the blown-up pagers, the deteriorating Bulgarian-North Macedonian relations and the future of the Bulgarian accession to the Schengen agreement
Before the veto on the start of accession talks for North Macedonia, Bulgaria was a champion for the EU integration of the Western Balkans
Maria Simeonova comments on the Bulgaian-North Macedonian relations and the internal political situation of Bulgaria
The agreement has become part of Kosovo’s EU path and Serbia’s EU path – it is valid twice, between Serbia and Kosovo and between Kosovo and EU and Serbia and EU
Miroslav Lajčák comments on the Ohrid Agreement that aims to normalise bilateral relations between Serbia and Kosovo
This entanglement of the two countries with Europe is inevitable, however much they try to flirt with China or Russia
Vessela Tcherneva comments on Serbia and Kosovo’s increasing connection to the EU. Serbia is integrating economically but not politically. Should the EU change its approach towards the two countries?