Senior Policy Fellow
Euro-Atlantic integration; green agenda; Balkan politics and foreign policy; violent extremism; peacebuilding and conflict transformation, dialogue, and mediation
Albanian, English, Serbo-Croatian, German
Engjellushe Morina is a senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. She works from ECFR’s Berlin office. Her work mainly addresses the geopolitics of EU Enlargement, Kosovo-Serbia relations, and the geopolitical aspects of the green agenda.
Morina brings many years of research experience on, and fieldwork in, the Balkans, Euro-Atlantic integration, peacebuilding and conflict transformation, violent extremism, and dialogue and mediation. Prior to joining ECFR, she developed and led collaborative research projects on violent extremism and managed other initiatives such as a 1.5 track dialogue in North Macedonia. During the high-level negotiations over Kosovo’s political status led by President Marti Ahtisaari, she served as an expert and consultant in the Cultural Heritage group within the Unity Team (2005-2007). Her work focused on the protection of cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo. Morina co-founded and ran the Pristina Council on Foreign Relations. She was the executive director of Kosovar Stability Initiative and worked for the US Embassy in Pristina. Morina has also conducted archeological fieldwork in Egypt, Italy, Albania, and the United Kingdom, and research fieldwork in Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan.
Morina holds degrees from University College London (Institute of Archaeology), Oxford University (Somerville College), and the Hertie School of Governance, in Berlin.
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
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
Escalating violence in the north of Kosovo undermines the already difficult dialogue process. The EU and US need to address this destabilisation head on
It is time for the EU to burnish its foreign policy credentials by setting out concrete plans for the next round of enlargement
The new energy cooperation between Hungary and Serbia threatens to undermine the EU’s energy sovereignty and pull Serbia further from the EU
Western sponsors of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade are wrong to believe Serbia will work to make a success of diplomacy
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
ECFR’s recent mini-series sheds light on the issues in the dialogue process by identifying both pitfalls and opportunities
Western Balkans states need to join the EU’s energy transition. They can do so in several ways.
The EU’s enlargement policy will only remain effective if it judiciously manages its relations with Western Balkans countries
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
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 solution to the dispute between Kosovo and Serbia should be to create a societal consensus on both sides of the border
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
Escalating violence in the north of Kosovo undermines the already difficult dialogue process. The EU and US need to address this destabilisation head on
It is time for the EU to burnish its foreign policy credentials by setting out concrete plans for the next round of enlargement
The new energy cooperation between Hungary and Serbia threatens to undermine the EU’s energy sovereignty and pull Serbia further from the EU
Western sponsors of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade are wrong to believe Serbia will work to make a success of diplomacy
ECFR’s recent mini-series sheds light on the issues in the dialogue process by identifying both pitfalls and opportunities
Western Balkans states need to join the EU’s energy transition. They can do so in several ways.
The EU’s enlargement policy will only remain effective if it judiciously manages its relations with Western Balkans countries
In Ukraine and North Macedonia, the Orthodox Church is facing deep, even violent, splits, on the one hand; and is edging closer to resolving decades-old disputes, on the other
The deepening relationship between Belgrade and Moscow has long created unease across the Balkans. By refusing to condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine, Serbia has proven once again that it is a liability to the EU and NATO.
After more than eleven years of the EU facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, this process could be described as “one step forward, two steps back”. The seriousness of challenges that constantly emerge in relations between Kosovo and Serbia shows that despite the goodwill and dedication of the Western stakeholders, domestic democratic capacities, nationalistic politics, geopolitics, and third players hinder the possibility of reaching a comprehensive solution.
The geopolitical context has brought the issue of enlargement to the top of the agenda. Europeans are now considering welcoming new members as a response to the new reality.
Engjellushe Morina says EU enlargement fatigue has temporarily passed, but despite record high support from both the public and the governments, it may face more obstacles than the 2004 enlargement
Engjellushe Morina on the consensus on EU enlargement
Despite a wide consensus on the necessity to enlarge the EU, the majority of State Members is not yet in an advanced reflecting phase on how to concretely achieve it
Engjellushe Morina comments on the opening of enlargement negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova
Leaders of EU countries that in the past showed little enthusiasm for enlargement, such as France, Denmark, and the Netherlands, have completely changed their tone
Engjellushe Morina comments on a possible EU enlargement towards Ukraine
EU Enlargement fatigues seems to be over, at least for now
Engjellushe Morina on the likelihood that Ukraine will start accession negotiations
