What EU reforms will make enlargement successful? Why should Europe focus on the Balkans? What are the potential opportunities and challenges for EU enlargement and the Growth Plan for this region?

Join Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare in this episode of #BalkansDebrief as she interviews Enr...

Where next for Serbian foreign policy? For decades, the United States and Serbia have engaged in a delicate diplomatic dance. Recently, Serbian think tank representatives visited Washington, DC, for critical talks with US policymakers.

Their agenda? Navigating the complexities of Serbia's democ...

Do Balkan nationalist chants at EURO 2024 fuel ethnic tensions? Football and politics are deeply intertwined, especially in the Balkans, where the mix can be volatile. At the UEFA Euro Cup in Germany this year, nationalistic chants and provocative acts highlighted the ongoing tensions among Balka...

WHAT IS THE US ROLE AMIDST FRAGILITY IN THE WESTERN BALKANS? | A DEBRIEF WITH GABRIEL ESCOBAR - The Western Balkans stand at a pivotal moment. Regional stability, security, and prosperity require a more robust US engagement. EU accession remains the goal but simmering ethnic tensions and resurgen...

North Macedonia, a small nation of 2 million, in the Western Balkans, gained international attention in 2019, when it agreed to the seemingly impossible: changing its name in exchange for EU negotiations and NATO membership. While NATO membership was secured, EU accession talks have stalled for y...

HOW WILL THE US&EU ELECTIONS RESHAPE THE WESTERN BALKANS? | A DEBRIEF WITH IVAN KRASTEV - As 2024 dawns, the Balkans cling to a fragile dream: EU membership. But the region and the Union itself are beset by internal tremors. From simmering protests in Serbia to looming threats and economic storms...

Serbia witnessed a tumultuous end to 2023, with protests erupting in Belgrade following the December 17th elections. Thousands demand the annulment, alleging President Vučić's Progressive Party fabricated results through cross-border voting. Despite claiming a "cleanest and most honest" victory, ...

A DEBRIEF WITH VIOLA VON CRAMON - The European Parliament's (EP) resolution condemning Serbia's actions in northern Kosovo marks a significant development in the ongoing crisis between the two countries. The resolution calls for a freeze on funding for the Serbian government if it is found to hav...

A Debrief with Alicia Kearns - The recent murder of a Kosovar Albanian police officer by dozens of Serbian gunmen in the north of Kosovo is a reminder of the increasing security concerns between the two nations and the region at large. Given that the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue for comprehe...

A DEBRIEF WITH ANDI DOBRUSHI - 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 ...

HOW TO INTEGRATE SERBS IN NORTHERN KOSOVO? A DEBRIEF WITH SHPETIM GASHI AND MILICA ANDRIC RAKIC - How to integrate Serbs in Northern Kosovo? A debrief with Shpetim Gashi and Milica Andric Rakic

As the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels faces a critical juncture, th...

WILL NORTH MACEDONIA CHANGE ITS CONSTITUTION? A debrief with H.E. Bojan Maricikj - 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...

BALKANS DEBRIEF — The Roma are Europe’s largest ethnic minority, an estimated 10 to 12 million people, of whom over two thirds live in Central and Eastern Europe according to the World Bank. Despite their many contributions to European society, Roma communities continue to face extreme social, ec...

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 addres...

WILL MONTENEGRO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT? A DEBRIEF WITH PETAR POPOVIC - 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 governm...

WILL KOSOVO AND SERBIA MAKE THE NECESSARY CONCESSIONS FOR NORMALIZATION? A DEBRIEF WITH SEN. CHRIS MURPHY - After the recent escalation of tensions in northern Kosovo, Senator Chris Murphy played a crucial role in urging for de-escalation between Kosovo and Serbia. Thanks to broad bipartisan supp...

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...

WHAT CHALLENGES FACE ASM? | A DEBRIEF WITH MIODRAG MARINKOVIC AND NAIM RASHITI - For the first time since the beginning of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, discussions in Brussels are currently underway as Belgrade and Pristina negotiate the content of draft statute which will create the l...

A DEBRIEF WITH JOVANA RADOSAVLJEVIC AND VISAR YMERI - 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 an...

A DEBRIEF WITH MIROSLAV LAJČÁK - 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...

A DEBRIEF WITH TATJANA LAZAREVIC - In the wake of vigorous shuttle diplomacy meant to jumpstart the adoption of an EU-designed proposal to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo, the United States is pushing Prishtina to fulfill its prior commitment to create the Association of ethnic Serb...

A DEBRIEF WITH PETAR TODOROV - 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 distinctly Macedonian ethnicity and language.

Nonre...

DEBRIEF WITH DIANA GLIGORIJEVIC AND MERGIM CAHANI - 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 impro...

A DEBRIEF WITH TIM JUDAH - 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...