Many of the most pressing rule-of-law related issues are deeply embedded in the political, economic and social structure of the countries of the Western Balkans. Tackling them is no easy matter and requires multi-faceted solutions: the coveted trophy of fostering better governance cannot be achieved within a few months’ time, nor even in a five-year…
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In what for the UK is tropical heat, the fifth Western Balkans Summit took place in London on 9 and 10 July 2018. For me, it has a special significance. I have been living in the UK for the best part of the last 20 years, and to see a promotion of the Western Balkans…
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Photo: Reuters “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” – Abraham Lincoln The Macedonian government has managed to re-attract the focus of the EU and NATO in the past few months. The diplomatic teams have worked hard…
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Photo: Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras (L) and FYROM prime minister Zoran Zaev (R) shake hands after their arrival on Macedonian side of the Lake Prespa, near Otesevo, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on Sunday. Photograph: Nake Batev/EPA Author: Lura Pollozhani Macedonia has been given its third chance at state-building. Its first…
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Author: Simonida Kacarska (Director of the European Policy Institute, Macedonia) The upcoming summit of the heads of state and government of the European Union member states, to be held at the end of June 2018, will be viewed with much interest from the Balkans. The last enlargement package in the autumn of 2016, under the…
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Alexis Tsipras, Zoran Zaev, Nikos Kotzias and Nikola Dimitrov; Photo: Tanjug / AP Photo / Yorgos Karahalis Author: Zoran Nechev, Head of the Center for EU integration at the Institute for Democracy ‘Societas Civilis’ and member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) A week ago, the Macedonian and Greek prime…
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In televised statements, Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev, the Prime Ministers of Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia respectively, announced on Tuesday evening that they had reached a deal on the long-running name dispute. The full text of the agreement was eventually released to the public yesterday evening, and we may now…
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Strolling through Baščaršija, Sarajevo’s old bazaar and cultural legacy of the Ottoman Empire, on any given day, you will probably encounter more Turks than any other nationality. Last weekend was no exception to that. Yet in addition to the tourists coming from Turkey, thousands of diaspora Turks from Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands and the…
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