The war in Ukraine has renewed interest in EU enlargement in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. The Berlin Process, which has been working to revitalize ties between Western Balkan candidate countries and the EU for the last 10 years, is now seeing its efforts pay off.   The 2023 Tirana Civil Society and Think Tank Forum is playing a key role in the conversation on EU Enlargement into the Balkans. The forum, organized by the Open Society Foundation Western Balkans (OSF-WB), the...

As the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels faces a critical juncture, the pressing question arises: How do we navigate this impasse? In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare talks to two civil society leaders, Milica Andric Rakic, program manager at the New Social Initiative, and Shpetim Gashi, Vice President of the Council for Inclusive Governance, to discuss steps needed for integrating the Serb community in the north of Kosovo. ...

Ahead of a crucial vote to amend its constitution, Skopje’s political landscape remains sharply divided. The current government strongly supports the changes, which will add language in recognition of the country's Bulgarian minority, while the opposition remains vehemently opposed. Even a pro-amendment campaign by EU and US diplomats has yet to tip the scales in favor of the amendment's adoption. Just as the country voted to change its name before becoming a NATO member, adopting this...

The Berlin Process, led by EU member states under German leadership, was revitalized last year to promote economic regional cooperation among the Western Balkans' six countries. Albania currently holds the chairmanship of the Berlin Summit, which is scheduled for October 16 in Tirana, with the participation of EU leaders. Ahead of the summit, Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Dr. Odeta Barbullushi, advisor to Albania's Prime Minister on European issues and regional cooperation. ...

Benefits of regional economic integration| A debrief with Stefan Lazarevic and Enio Jaco Home to 18 million people in the heart of Europe, the Western Balkans have enormous potential to catalyze economic growth through greater market openness. Ongoing regional cooperation efforts aim to address economic challenges such as high rates of unemployment and poverty, issues regarding corruption and upholding the rule of law, and stemming the region’s “brain drain” and resulting labor shortages. ...

Following snap parliamentary elections on June 11th, Montenegro finds itself in a new phase of political uncertainty. The Europe Now Movement (PES) won a plurality of the vote but failed to secure enough seats to form a government. More alarmingly, voter turnout hit a historic low of 56.4 percent due in part to election fatigue and a lack of political change. Now more than ever, the country needs consensus if it is to continue necessary reforms on its path to EU membership. Nonresident...

Will Kosovo and Serbia make concessions towards normalization? A debrief with Sen. Chris Murphy After the recent escalation of tensions in northern Kosovo, Senator Murphy played a crucial role in urging for de-escalation between Kosovo and Serbia. Thanks to broad bipartisan support in the US Senate, both Serbia and Kosovo were called upon to address the fragile security situation in the north and resume the normalization dialogue facilitated by the EU and supported by the United States. ...

What’s behind the escalation in Kosovo? A debrief with Jovana Radosavljevic and Agon Maliqi   Violent protests in the north of Kosovo have escalated the situation, leaving 50 KFOR troops wounded when newly elected Albanian mayors entered the municipality buildings in areas with a Serbian majority, protected by an increased presence of Kosovo police. NATO has deployed 700 additional troops to ensure territorial security. The decision of Kosovo's Prime Minister to deploy the new mayors in...

Why the European future of the Balkans depends on Serbia? | A Debrief with Borut Pahor In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a new European security order is being designed. After years of enlargement impasse, Brussels has recognized the pivotal role of the EU membership of the six Western Balkan countries. What future will the region have, and how can the influence of Russia be challenged in the Western Balkans? In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva...

What's next after Bulgarian elections? A Debrief with Dimitar Bechev Bulgaria's recent parliamentary elections marked a significant moment for the country after a two-year political deadlock, which had resulted in the need for a technocratic government. This election is seen as potentially having a significant impact on Bulgaria's relationship with the EU, particularly in terms of addressing corruption and upholding the rule of law. In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, nonresident Senior...

Mediated by the European Union and supported by the United States, the Ohrid summit between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is a historic opportunity to resolve a long-standing dispute between Serbia and Kosovo and accelerate the Euro-Atlantic integration process for both countries. In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare is joined by Jovana Radosavljevic, Executive Director of the New Social Initiative based in...

On February 27th, Serbia and Kosovo agreed that no further discussion are needed on the EU proposal for normalization of relations, which could potentially pave the way for the resolution of an unfinished conflict. The agreement was a step forward in normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo with focus on guarantees and protection of legitimate rights of the Serbian community across the territory of Kosovo.  Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special...

North Macedonia’s accession to the European Union has been delayed in the last two years due to disagreements with Bulgaria. The dispute centers around the identity of the Slavs in Macedonia and whether there is a istinctly Macedonian ethnicity and language. Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare is joined in this episode of #BalkansDebrief by Petar Todorov a historian and a member of the Bilateral Multidisciplinary Expert Commission for Historical and Educational questions between Republic of...

Even though the situation between Serbia and Kosovo is more tense than in recent memory, with the war in Ukraine as a backdrop, the broader situation in the region remains unchanged. As EU enlargement remains stalled, the best prospect for improving the lives of citizens in the region appears to be the private sector investment in economic development. Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare is joined in this episode of #BalkansDebrief by Diana Gligorijevic, the co-founder of Telegroup...

Another end-of-year flare-up in the north of Kosovo was just the latest in a cycle of crisis that repeats itself every time a deadline for normalization is approaching or a new agreement is about to take effect between Kosovo and Serbia. Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Tim Judah, a journalist and author, in this episode of #BalkansDebrief about the role played by the Serbian President and the Prime Minister of Kosovo in reaching a normalization agreement acceptable to both...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has largely defined the year with the crises across the Western Balkans shaping against this grim backdrop. Even though the year-end leaves the region in an uncertain place, with tensions between Serbia and Kosovo at an all-time high, some positive developments ought to be noted. Ilva Tare, Atlantic Council Europe Center's Nonresident Senior Fellow, speaks with Maja Piscevic, Nonresident Fellow, and Damir Marusic, Senior Fellow, at the Atlantic Council’s Europe...

The recent EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, Albania, was seen as a step in the right direction for reinvigorating the EU enlargement process. Is there a new political will for enlargement among the EU member states? How did the new geopolitical momentum following Russia’s aggression in Ukraine affect the membership prospects of the Western Balkan countries? Ilva Tare, Atlantic Council Europe Center's Nonresident Senior Fellow, speaks with Paul Taylor, Senior Fellow for Peace, Security...

With the Berlin Process summit in sight, the first headlines coming from Germany indicate that Berlin will deliver agreements signed by all six Western Balkans countries. Will these new regional dynamics produce long-term meaningful changes?   Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Milan Nič, Senior Fellow at the German Council on the Foreign Relations, in this episode of #BalkansDebrief about the next steps for the Balkan countries following the implementation of these...

The quest for freedom has long been the interest of political scholars and philosophers. Yet an 11-year-old girl in Albania began debating the issue with her parents while the streets of Tirana erupted with protests demanding freedom. That girl is Lea Ypi, a political theory professor at the London School of Economics and the author of the internationally acclaimed novel, “Free, coming of age at the end of Communism.”   Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare talks with Lea Ypi in this episode...

When German Chancellor Olaf Scholz broke the news of a Berlin Process 2.0, the Western Balkans’ hopes for a revival of European enlargement were revived. The Common Regional Market and the ‘four freedoms’ are at the heart of Berlin process, but previous negotiations broke down in Sofia due to differences between Serbia and Kosovo.  In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Ilva Tare speaks with Manuel Sarrazin, the German Special Representative for the Western Balkans, about a potential...

While the United States is expected to bolster its political commitment to the Western Balkans through economic support, a bipartisan bill introduced in Congress aims to enhance those efforts by providing increased funding and technical assistance.   In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Ilva Tare speaks to Senator Jeanne Shaheen who is leading this bipartisan effort to bolster American leadership in the region, all the while keeping a close eye on events in the Western Balkans. The Senator...

Bosnian citizens voted for new representatives on October 2. Immediately after the polls closed the Office of the High Representative, led by Christian Schmidt, imposed a new election law requiring immediate implementation. In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Ilva Tare speaks to Damir Marusic, Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, about the main takeaways of the elections. What is next for Bosnia? Are the Dayton’s accords still relevant? Can Bosnia become a liberal...

After a decade of attempts to reach an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, the EU and the US appear to have joined forces to find solutions for a long-lasting deal for the future of both countries. Thirteen policy experts from Serbia and Pristina authored a document proposing four likely scenarios. Two political analysts who took part in the working group "Kosovo and Serbia by 2027" are interviewed by Ilva Tare in this edition of #BalkansDebrief.  Should we expect Prime Minister Kurti to...

What is the likelihood that a new government will be formed in Montenegro following the vote of no-confidence? Why did Prime Minister Abazovic lose the parliamentary support? Did President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic play a role in the country's recent political unrest? In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Ilva Tare speaks with Zeljko Pantelic, a Montenegrin foreign policy expert about the current political developments in Montenegro, country's EU path, and the Open Balkan Initiative. Can...

Another crisis between Kosovo and Serbia was averted following close involvement of the EU and the US officials in facilitating reciprocal recognition of ID cards. Conversation now moves forward under the auspices of the EU-facilitated Dialogue. In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Ilva Tare speaks to the US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill, about Serbia's EU path, issues affecting the EU-facilitated dialogue, Serbia's choice between the West and the East & the US support for the...