INVITATION: 2021 Progress Reports on the Western Balkans: Is the EU enlargement lost?
At the EU-Western Balkans Summit held in October in Slovenia, the EU leaders once again expressed their support to the enlargement process while their Western Balkan counterparts committed to upholding the European values and norms as well as to the reforms required for their European perspective. However, the reform process in the region seems to be stalling and the “enlargement fatigue” is accompanied by a lack of political will to meet the conditions for EU membership on the side of the candidate countries and to stick to a strict but objective and merit- based approach on the side of the Union.
Where do the Western Balkan countries stand in their EU-related reforms? Does the EU possess the tools needed to address the democratic backsliding and to re-energize the reform process? How much influence do the European Commission’s 2021 Progress Reports on individual Western Balkan countries have?
Speakers:
- Jovana Vančevska, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy
- Zoran Nechev, Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis – Skopje (IDSCS)
- Ioannis Armakolas, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)
- Milena Muk, Institut Alternativa
The discussion will be moderated by Jana Juzová, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy
You can register for the debate held via Zoom here.
