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How will the future of Kosovo look like in the next five to ten years? Will the new government find a way to stimulate the economy and to bring Kosovo onto the path of a prosperous democracy, where its citizens do not feel the urge to leave the country in search for better perspectives? What should the European Union do to support Kosovo? What role could Austria have and how should Kosovo deal with other external actors in the region like Russia, Turkey or China?
In May 2022 the IIP visited the Srebrenica Memorial Center and established a successful cooperation with the Memorial Center. Sever interviews were conducted with members of the Memorial Center, who talked about their work at the center and their personal stories which are connected to the genocide which happened in July 1995.
In May 2022 the IIP visited the Srebrenica Memorial Center and established a successful cooperation with the Memorial Center. Sever interviews were conducted with members of the Memorial Center, who talked about their work at the center and their personal stories which are connected to the genocide which happened in July 1995.
In May 2022 the IIP visited the Srebrenica Memorial Center and established a successful cooperation with the Memorial Center. Several interviews were conducted with members of the Memorial Center who talked about their work at the center and their personal stories which are connected to the genocide of July 1995.
In the context of the upcoming High Level Conference on the Western Balkans on 23rd of June 2022 in Brussels, the director of the IIP, Stephanie Fenkart, talked with Adnan Ćerimagić about expectations and challenges of the upcoming conference. The conference has been initiated by France, who is holding the Presidency of the EU council and will gather the 27 EU member states, the Western Balkans 6 partners, and representatives of the EU institutions.
Researchers and Members of our Western Balkans Initiative got together with experts from the Austrian Institute of International Affairs, the Balkan Forum, the Karl-Renner-Institute and the International Institute for Peace in order to formulate a declaration on the issue of dealing with authoritarianism. The declaration calls for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. With recent election victories of Prime Minister Orban in Hungary and President Aleksandar Vucic in Serbia, it is of great importance to promote and strengthen European values and to unite against authoritarianism.
Recent developments and actions in the Western Balkans, especially those by Milorad Dodik, demonstrate the need to counter authoritarian tendencies and backward-oriented policies that threaten the advances achieved in region since the end of the bloody Yugoslav Wars. Worse still, some politicians within the EU, such as Viktor Orbaán, seek to form alliances with authoritarian leaders in the region and prevent a united front by the EU. At the same time, other member states that do not support reactionary forces in the region continue to pose obstacles to the Western Balkan countries’ accession and integration process. Additionally, many citizens of the Western Balkans – especially, Kosovar citizens – face obstacles to the freedom of movement within the region and throughout the Schengen Area. Even more alarmingly, we have witnessed democratic backsliding within EU countries, such as Hungary and Poland, as well as aspiring EU members states, such as Turkey. The results of the recent elections in Serbia and Hungary clearly indicate that the era of electoral authoritarianism is on the rise in Europe.
Mehrere Millionen Menschen aus den Westbalkanländern leben im Ausland, ein Gutteil davon in Mittel- und Westeuropa. Viele unter ihnen fühlen sich mit ihren Herkunftsländern weiterhin eng verbunden, unterstützen ihre Familien in der (ehemaligen) Heimat und verfolgen die dortigen Geschehnisse genau und oft genug auch kritisch. Inwieweit kann und soll die Diaspora auch auf politischer Ebene Einfluss auf die Entwicklung in den Herkunftsländern nehmen? Haben die Migrant:innen noch eine Verantwortung für ihre alte Heimat oder liegt diese vor allem in den Zielländern? Im Rahmen der Diskussion werden wir auch Fragen der Zugehörigkeit und der vielschichtigen Identität der Diaspora beleuchten. Die Diskussionsveranstaltung findet im Rahmen der Initiative „Young Generations for the New Balkans 2030: Towards Alternative Horizons“ statt, die die Jugend in und aus den Westbalkanländern, ihre fortschrittlichen Einstellungen und ihre Hoffnungen für die Zukunft in den Mittelpunkt rückt.
Serbia is bracing itself for the presidential and parliamentarian elections which will be held in April 2022. With rising authoritarianism and corruption, Serbia is more and more drifting away from its European course. The current President, Aleksandar Vucic, continues to lead the country with his authoritarian and anti-democratic policies which effectively strengthens his position and autocratic rule. The opposition, on the other hand, must deal with low media coverage, unstable cooperation between opposition parties and difficulties in monitoring the election process. Yet, after 10 years of Vucic’s rule in Serbia, it seems that the elections 2022 could bring some change in the political spectrum of Serbia.
In light of current events in Ukraine, the Austrian Institute for International Affairs (Austria), the Balkan Forum (Kosovo), Crossborder Factory (Germany), and the International Institute for Peace (Austria) kindly invite you to support the Open Letter on Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine and the Implications for the Western Balkans with your signature.
