Recorded on December 16, 2024 at the International Institute for Peace (IIP) in Vienna.
WELCOME
• HANNES SWOBODA, former MEP and President of the IIP
• GAZMEND BERLAJOLLI, Executive Director of the Balkan Forum
• GERHARD MARCHL, Head of Department of European Politics at the Karl-Renner-Institut
PANEL
• FILIP MILAČIĆ, Senior Researcher at Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Montenegro and Vienna
• BRANIMIR JOVANOVIĆ, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies
• MARIGONA SHABIU, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Prishtina
• THOMAS STÖLZL, Ministry for European and International Affairs, Austria
• TARA TEPAVAC, Research Assistant at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory at the University of Belgrade (IFDT)
MODERATION
• VEDRAN DŽIHIĆ, Senior Researcher, Austrian Institute for International Politics
CONTENT
Despite ongoing calls from the EU for reform and European integration, the Western Balkans continue to struggle with opposing political agendas and institutional polarization. These issues have led to deeply divided societies, highlighting the fragile state of democracy in the region and raising pressing questions about its future trajectory.
This public panel will explore the evolving relationship between the EU and the Western Balkans, focusing on whether the EU still serves as a transformative power in the region. Given the growing skepticism about the EU’s ability to fulfill its promises, the discussion will examine both immediate and long-term actions needed to bridge the gap between EU aspirations and regional realities. Additionally, regional cooperation and the role of citizen mobilization—especially among youth—will be highlighted as a critical force for democratic activism, and the pursuit of prosperity in a region increasingly affected by depopulation and political and economic stagnation. Finally, we aim to contextualize developments in the region within the larger picture of major global shifts and developments (war in Ukraine, rise of autocracies, disinformation campaigns, new geopolitics and geoeconomics, etc.).
By bringing together experts with deep regional knowledge, the discussion aims to illuminate the complexities of peacebuilding, cooperation, and integration in the Western Balkans. The conversation will go beyond the enlargement narrative, critically assessing the EU’s role in promoting stability and reform, and questioning whether it can still inspire the transformative changes required to secure a stable and prosperous future for the region.
