Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group

23/07/2026

📢 New interview!

BiEPAG experts Marko Kmezic and Vedran Dzihic speak to The New Union Post about the findings of our study Mining in the Western Balkans and the importance of linking critical raw materials with democratic governance and EU enlargement.

Including accession conditionality within the framework of critical raw materials mining would be "beneficial" for both sides, say BiEPAG's Kmezić and Džihić

21/07/2026

🌍 A valuable reminder of our study “Mining in the Western Balkans”, exploring how critical raw materials, democratic governance, and EU enlargement intersect across the region.

20/07/2026

🌍 Beyond Stability: Who Governs the Western Balkans?

In her latest op-ed, Vera Tika explores how recent civic mobilisations across the Western Balkans reveal a growing demand for transparency, accountability, and more responsive institutions.

From environmental protests to calls for justice and institutional responsibility, citizens are increasingly asking not only who governs, but how power is exercised and who is held accountable.

📖 Read the full op-ed on our website: https://www.biepag.eu/op-ed/beyond-stability-who-governs-the-western-balkans

Image credits: https://protesti.pics

17/07/2026

🎙️ New podcast: Discussing France, EU enlargement, and the future of Europe

We are pleased to launch the “Seriously Enlargement” podcast series, hosted by our member Donika Emini Ph.D., exploring how EU member states’ perspectives shape the future of the enlargement process.

In the first episode, we look at France’s evolving approach to enlargement with Timothée Truelle and Natasha Wunsch — from past scepticism to a more strategic engagement with the future of the European project.

The conversation explores what “controlled enlargement” means in practice, how enlargement can align with a stronger EU, and what this means for the Western Balkans and the next wave of candidates.

🎧 A timely discussion on whether enlargement can become not only a geopolitical necessity, but a sustainable political project for Europe.

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16/07/2026

📢 New BiEPAG Policy Brief

From Periphery to Power: The Geo-Economic Case for Southeast Europe

Geo-economic competition in the Western Balkans is no longer a peripheral issue — it is increasingly shaping the EU accession process and the region’s strategic position.

✍️ Authored by Frauke Seebass (BiEPAG member) and Philipp Lamprecht, this new Policy Brief examines how growing competition among external actors affects EU enlargement and the EU’s strategic interests in the region, while offering policy recommendations to address emerging challenges.

📄 The publication is available on our website here: https://www.biepag.eu/publication/from-periphery-to-power-the-geoeconomic-case-for-southeast-europe

The Policy Brief is produced on behalf of ECIPE and the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) with the kind support of the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans.

15/07/2026

📣 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐞𝐨-𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐔 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞.

🔗 Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2717829812512/WN_ZVsPFcQjQYapn3PLWpkNxA #/registration

Geo-economic competition in the Western Balkans is no longer a peripheral concern. It is becoming a defining factor in the EU accession process.

As competition among external actors intensifies, it risks undermining both the credibility of EU enlargement and the Union's broader strategic interests in the region. This webinar will examine how these dynamics are shaping the accession process in candidate countries, with a particular focus on the frontrunners, Montenegro and Albania, and how they interact with the EU's new enlargement methodology.

Presenting the findings of the new Policy Brief From Periphery to Power: The Geo-Economic Case for Southeast Europe, our speakers will examine the implications of geo-economic competition for EU enlargement and present targeted policy recommendations to help the EU better mitigate the associated risks.

The Policy Brief is produced on behalf of ECIPE and the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group with kind support of the Open Society Foundations Western Balkans.

📅 Wednesday. 15 July 2026
🕒 14:00 - 15:30 CET
🖥️ Online (Zoom)

🎙️ Presentation by:
🗣️ Frauke Seebass, Policy Analyst, Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
🗣️ Philipp Lamprecht, Director, ECIPE

First comments:
🗣️ Tena Prelec, Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka & member of BiEPAG
🗣️ Ana Krstinovska, PhD, President, ESTIMA & ELIAMEP (Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy)

Opening remarks will be delivered by Bilsana Bibić, Program Analyst at Open Society Foundations Western Balkans.

📄 Read the full Policy Brief “From Periphery to Power: The Geo-Economic Case for Southeast Europe” here: https://lnkd.in/eSd6myY6

11/07/2026

Standing in solidarity with all those who defend truth, remembrance, and human dignity.

We are deeply saddened and alarmed by the news that Serbian writer and activist Vladimir Arsenijević was attacked today in Belgrade by a group of more than 20 people while preparing a memorial event for the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. The event was subsequently cancelled.

Commemorating the Srebrenica genocide should not require exceptional civic courage. It should be an opportunity for all of us to come together, honour the victims, confront the past with honesty, and reaffirm our shared responsibility to ensure that such crimes are never repeated.

The European Fund for the Balkans stands in solidarity with Vladimir Arsenijević and all those who continue to defend remembrance, truth, and human dignity.

10/07/2026

Tomorrow, July 11, marks the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. Yet in Serbia today, openly discussing what happened remains dangerous and nearly impossible. Dragan Popović examines how political culture shapes historical memory and why democracy is essential for truth.

🇷🇸 Under Vučić's authoritarian rule, anyone discussing Srebrenica faces vilification and accusations of treason. The state controls major media outlets. Political space is polarized beyond repair. The result is that genuine public debate about the genocide has become virtually impossible. The only "acceptable" narrative is the official state story, which portrays any discussion of Srebrenica as an international conspiracy against Serbia.

🔍 Popović contrasts this with Serbia's democratic period between 2000 and 2012. During those years, Srebrenica was discussed publicly, though imperfectly. Democratic governments did not monopolize a single narrative. Prosecutors and intellectuals spoke freely about war crimes. Documentaries sparked debate. Public discussion was messy but genuine.

⚖️ All of this ended when autocracy took hold. Srebrenica became a petrified national myth, neither questioned nor openly discussed outside state-approved narratives. The victims deserve better. They deserve recognition, respect, and freedom from the continued denial of crimes committed against them. Such conditions can emerge only through the restoration of democracy. Even weak democracies provide healthier environments for victims and regional reconciliation than autocratic regimes.

LINK in the comments 👇

09/07/2026

🇷🇸 New BiEPAG Op-ed: "Will Post-Vučić Serbia Be Lost to the EU?"

Serbia's student movement has captured public imagination and emerged as the primary political force challenging the authoritarian regime. Yet despite their energy and appeal, the students have adopted a curious position toward EU accession. They claim neutrality, promising neither to support nor oppose further EU negotiations until after establishing what they call a trustworthy institutional framework.

💭 BiEPAG member Jelena Vasiljević questions whether this neutrality is actually possible or wise. She argues that claiming to pause on EU accession is not truly neutral, because geopolitical competitors will not pause. Russia, China, and other powers continue to invest in Serbian influence. Germany has placed its officials inside the presidential administration. In this context, a stance of neutrality effectively means choosing against accession.

📊 The deeper problem lies with the EU itself. Citizens have lost faith in the accession process because the EU has been inconsistent and self-serving. The European Commission recently welcomed what are essentially authoritarian judicial reforms designed to strengthen executive control over prosecution. This signals to Serbian citizens that the EU does not actually demand democratic change, only strategic compliance.

🔍 If Serbia is not to be lost to competing geopolitical projects, the EU must change course fundamentally. The bureaucratic claim that "we negotiate with states, not governments" cannot justify continued engagement with a captured state. Only by demanding genuine democratic reform can the EU keep Serbia oriented toward European values and integration.

LINK in the comments 👇