Climate of connection: The Western Balkans, the EU, and the value of transport
The EU can work with existing regional integration mechanisms in the Western Balkans to help cut carbon emissions through transport investment
Western Balkans
America first, Europe next: Trump will change dynamics in Western Balkan security
With US involvement waning, Europe faces a critical test in securing the Western Balkans. Renewed EU commitment could transform its neighbourhood and bolster its security
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
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
Enlarged and in charge: Why the EU needs a new approach to accession
The EU’s enlargement policy will only remain effective if it judiciously manages its relations with Western Balkans countries
Closed-skies diplomacy: What the Western Balkans can do for the EU
The still-incomplete web of allies and institutions that the EU has woven in the Balkans in the last 30 years is not only strong but also valuable to its geopolitical struggle against Russia
War and hate: Lessons for the Balkans from the invasion of Ukraine
Ukraine’s leaders have been careful not to organise the war effort around hatred of Russians. Societies recover much faster from war than from hate
Germany’s new government: Promising signs for Western Balkans EU integration
The emerging ‘traffic-light’ coalition government should recognise the dangers ranged around the EU on its Western Balkans borders – and help move EU integration along for the region’s states
Close to home: Germany’s state building challenge in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Germany insisted on its choice of new high representative. Now it needs to reveal if it has a plan to make the Bosnian state workable enough for the high representative institution to finally end
Publications
Balka-Seltzer: How to avoid excess gas in the Western Balkans
The Western Balkans could enact a comprehensive energy transition straight from coal to renewables – but the region seems to be drifting towards greater use of gas. It is in both the EU’s and the Western Balkans’ interest to mitigate this trend
The interest of values: The EU’s democracy promotion in the Western Balkans and the eastern neighbourhood
With EU enlargement back on the agenda, democracy promotion in candidate countries is a key geopolitical interest for the bloc. The EU’s previous efforts to promote democracy in the Western Balkans and eastern neighbourhood may hold valuable lessons for the years ahead
Catch-27: The contradictory thinking about enlargement in the EU
A new power audit of member states’ positions on EU enlargement shows broad agreement that it is a geopolitical necessity, but major disagreements about how to prepare the EU. To make credible progress, EU member states need to agree on a roadmap that addresses their conflicting concerns at the European Council meeting in December
Articles
Climate of connection: The Western Balkans, the EU, and the value of transport
The EU can work with existing regional integration mechanisms in the Western Balkans to help cut carbon emissions through transport investment
America first, Europe next: Trump will change dynamics in Western Balkan security
With US involvement waning, Europe faces a critical test in securing the Western Balkans. Renewed EU commitment could transform its neighbourhood and bolster its security
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
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
Enlarged and in charge: Why the EU needs a new approach to accession
The EU’s enlargement policy will only remain effective if it judiciously manages its relations with Western Balkans countries
Closed-skies diplomacy: What the Western Balkans can do for the EU
The still-incomplete web of allies and institutions that the EU has woven in the Balkans in the last 30 years is not only strong but also valuable to its geopolitical struggle against Russia
War and hate: Lessons for the Balkans from the invasion of Ukraine
Ukraine’s leaders have been careful not to organise the war effort around hatred of Russians. Societies recover much faster from war than from hate
Germany’s new government: Promising signs for Western Balkans EU integration
The emerging ‘traffic-light’ coalition government should recognise the dangers ranged around the EU on its Western Balkans borders – and help move EU integration along for the region’s states
Close to home: Germany’s state building challenge in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Germany insisted on its choice of new high representative. Now it needs to reveal if it has a plan to make the Bosnian state workable enough for the high representative institution to finally end
Podcasts
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
12 Dec
Taking stock of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process
On 12 December, the German Embassy in Washington DC and the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) will host a public discussion which will take…
23 Jan
Re-Engaging with Neighbours in a State of War and Geopolitical Tensions
Russia’s war against Ukraine has radically altered European security. Confronted by the direst security crisis in decades, EU policymakers are forced to fundamentally rethink their…
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
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 Dec
7 Sep
Kosovo’s Political Coherence during Pandemics and Negotiations with Serbia
debate with Albin Kurti, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo
In the media
Vessela Tcherneva on the protracted EU accession process of the Western Balkan states
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
It is crucial to use the current momentum and to decide to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina at the European Council later this week
Karoline Edtstadler says the EU must keep its promises