How can the EU impose costs on Russia?
The key challenge for the West is to deter any possible Russian action in Eastern Ukraine, and pursue a twin-track policy aimed at de-escalation
Experts & Staff
Vessela Tcherneva
Deputy Director
Areas of expertise
EU foreign policy; Western Balkans and Black Sea regions; transatlantic relations; regional studies; energy
Languages
Bulgarian, English, German, Russian
Biography
Vessela Tcherneva is deputy director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Her topics of focus include EU foreign policy and the Western Balkans and Black Sea region.
Between January and July 2022, she held the position of Foreign Policy Advisor to the Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. From 2010 to 2013, she was the spokesperson for the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a member of Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov’s political cabinet. Previously, she was secretary of the International Commission on the Balkans, chaired by former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and former German President Richard von Weizsäcker; supervising editor of the Foreign Policy Bulgaria magazine; and political officer at the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington, DC. Tcherneva holds an MA in Political Science from the Rhienische Friedrich-Wilhelm Universität in Bonn.
ECFR’s World in 30 minutes: Top Trends for 2014
What will be the big foreign policy trends in 2014? Mark Leonard talks to Julien Barnes-Dacey and Vessela Tcherneva about what will shape the…
Georgieva’s difficult tasks
The European Parliament votes on the new EU Commission on Tuesday. But for the replacement for the original Bulgarian Commissioner the vote is a minor hurdle compared to the tasks of the next five years
Десетилетието на пожарникарите
Firemen, realists and idealists: this century’s global leaders. A piece in Bulgarian
Obama’s First Year
When it comes to Russia, central Europeans are rightly concerned about Obama’s ‘reset’ policy, but for the wrong reasons
Чий е Европейският съюз
Закъснял с десет години, Лисабонският договор изглежда, че най-после ще види бял свят…
Fragility in the making
Bulgarians go to polls on Sunday. Instead of enhancing the fledgling democracy, the elections have increased feelings of uncertainty concerning Bulgaria?s democratic future
Russia’s EU Trojan horse makes a change
Bulgaria seems to have learned a lesson from January?s gas crisis ? Europeanise its energy resources. Vessela Tcherneva gives a first hand account of the Sofia Energy Conference
Moldova: time to take sides
The decision to hold a recount in Moldova’s disputed election offers the European Union an opportunity to rediscover its democratic agency, says Vessela Tcherneva
Bridging Europe’s solidarity gap
Today there is a new division in Europe – a solidarity gap. How will the EU bridge this perception, asks Vessela Tcherneva
Publications
The path to recognition: Kosovo’s and Serbia’s evolving dialogue
The solution to the dispute between Kosovo and Serbia should be to create a societal consensus on both sides of the border
Health sovereignty: How to build a resilient European response to pandemics
Europe must improve its early warning systems, supply chain resilience, medical R&D, and cyber security and technology, to act decisively in future emergencies
Together in trauma: Europeans and the world after covid-19
A new survey shows that, after the onset of the covid-19 crisis, there has been a rise in public support for unified EU action to tackle global threats
Absorb and conquer: An EU approach to Russian and Chinese integration in Eurasia
Europe shouldn’t be afraid of Russian and Chinese efforts to integrate the Eurasian landmass, but should absorb them into its international order
Return to instability: How migration and great power politics threaten the Western Balkans
EU’s weakness is prompting a new scramble for power for the Balkans with Russia, Turkey and other actors
European Foreign Policy Scorecard 2016
The sixth ECFR Foreign Policy Scorecard highlights the EU’s diminishing ability to influence its neighbours, and the neighbourhood’s growing impact on the EU
Rebooting EU Foreign Policy
The EU is ill-equipped to respond to foreign policy crises
Articles
Quick off the bloc: Security challenges for the next European Commission
For the European Union to convince the world – and its citizens – that it is taking its geopolitical responsibilities seriously, the next European Commission must be proactive in improving its approach to security
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
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
Cautious optimism: What Bulgaria’s new government means for Europe
After a year of interim governments, Bulgaria’s new administration has halted Bulgaria’s march to illiberalism and provided some hope for the region
The future of the European Political Community
As Europe’s leaders meet in Moldova, the potential of the European Political Community to contribute to security and foster connection across the continent is becoming ever clearer
Easy prey? Russia’s influence in Bulgaria
Newly released investigations have shed light on how corruption and the weak rule of law in Bulgaria enable Russian influence to thrive
Democratic renewal in Europe: Bulgaria joins a growing trend
It has taken three general elections for change to come in Bulgaria – but this week’s parliamentary vote gives cause to hope for genuine action on corruption
Western Balkans in trouble: Why the EU should make a new offer to the region
The EU currently lacks tools to make a real difference to stability in the Western Balkans. But it can create these tools if it musters the political will
Pandemic trends: Serbia looks east, Ukraine looks west
Public attitudes in Ukraine and Serbia raise pressing questions about EU enlargement. If member states are to sustain this process, they will need to base it on a shared sense of belonging
The end of tit-for-tat politics in Bulgaria
In an environment in which European and American interests are not always the same, it is short-sighted and dangerous for Bulgarian leaders to question their country’s geopolitical alignment
Podcasts
East meets West in Ankara: Inside the prisoner swap with Russia
The prisoner exchange between the West and Russia last week was the largest swap since the end of the cold war. At Turkey’s Ankara airport,…
NATO at 75: The future of European defence
Vessela Tcherneva welcomes Camille Grand, Camille Lons, Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, and Jana Puglierin to discuss the 75th NATO summit, and how Europe can defend itself with less America
Europe is shifting: EU election results could divide Europe
In this new episode, Vessela Tcherneva welcomes head of ECFR offices to discuss national implications of the EU elections
The future of European politics
Mark Leonard welcomes the heads of ECFR’s national offices to discuss key players outside the traditional halls of European power
How the EU should respond to Belarus
What will be the impact of the EU and US measures against Belarus? And what should be next steps also ahead of the EU-US summit on 15 June?
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?
Belarus’s brutal politics
What kind of implications do the developments in Belarus have for the wider neighbourhood and Europe?
Europe’s role in America’s election
How will and can Europeans react in the event of a post-election chaos in the US? The election day is fast approaching yet the outcome still…
The Biden effect and the future of US-Europe relations | Part II
After last week’s discussion with Matt Duss and Jeremy Shapiro, Mark Leonard follows up by gathering the European views on a possible Biden win and…
The first beneficiaries of 1989
Host Mark Leonard has an intimate discussion with our heads of offices from Sofia and Warsaw, Vessela Tcherneva and Piotr Buras about their experiences, hopes…
Events
9 Jul
Still standing together: A NATO summit on Ukraine’s fate
As leaders are about to take pivotal decisions for Ukraine’s fate at the NATO summit, join us for a discussion about pathways and policy options for…
20 May
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?
6 Mar
United West, divided from the rest? Come europei, cinesi, indiani, russi ed americani guardano alla guerra
Nell’attuale contesto internazionale, le relazioni dell’Europa con le potenze globali stanno cambiando rapidamente, e la loro evoluzione rappresenta un elemento di analisi ineludibile nel delineare la strategia di politica estera dell’UE
8 Nov
The role of Germany in Europe in times of war: Potential for German-Bulgarian cooperation
We will discuss Germany’s role in Europe and will reflect on how the new European order is viewed in Berlin
28 Oct
Kosovo-Serbia Relations: The Circle of (Dis)Trust and (Un)Equality /Belgrade Security Forum 2021/
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
5 Oct
Waves of ambition: Russia’s military build-up in the Black Sea
What can the EU and NATO do to reduce the risk of escalation in the region?
27 Apr
Конкурентоспособност на българската икономика в контекста на Европейската зелена сделка
This event will be in Bulgarian but simultaneous translation into English will be provided
16 Dec
NATO in a multipolar world
The European Council on Foreign Relations is delighted to invite you to a discussion on the role of the NATO in a world of revived geopolitical competition with a focus on the potential of the transatlantic alliance
25 Nov
In the media
Trump is not interested in Bulgarian democracy and will in no way help to restore institutions or to take back the captured state
Vesela Tcherneva comments on one year since the Hamas terrorist carnage in Israel, the warning from the European Commission to Sofia, the danger of an orbanocracy in Bulgaria, whether a shock such as the reinstatement of visas is necessary for Bulgarians to see the threat to democracy and its values
I don’t think there will be an increase in hostilities. Rather, we need to see who will step into the vacuum in South Lebanon
Vessela Tcherneva comments on the situation in the Middle East and Israel’s operation in Lebanon
There is a gap in the next few weeks in which, if the decision on the admission of Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen on land is voted, this issue will be closed once and for all
Vessela Tcherneva comments on the possibility for Bulgaria to join Schengen fully in the coming weeks
Vessela Tcherneva on the success of Austria’s Freedom party and the implications for Bulgaria
If Moscow’s goal in this war is to destroy the statehood of Ukraine, then the idea of peace talks is very difficult to achieve
Vessela Tcherneva commented on Zelenski’s last night’s statement and the three points he stressed