Europeanisation meets democracy from below: The Western Balkans on the search for new European and democratic Momentum (WB2EU)

Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Networks Project (621247-EPP-1-2020-1-AT-EPPJMO-NETWORK)

The next few years will be decisive for the democratic and European future of the Western Balkans.
In addition to a credible enlargement perspective and a positive enlargement narrative, which needs to be reinvented and reinvigorated, it is vital to support rule of law, civil dialogue, pluralism and the fight against corruption as well as the social dimension. It is crucial to invest more in social inclusion, to support the broad vision of just and democratic societies, which needs to include various bottom-up initiatives and actors.

Our “WB2EU network” will activate / connect / research / disseminate and create joint output on the defined topics by bringing together academia, civil society and relevant stakeholders on national, regional and EU level.

Key points:

reform, consolidate and reenergise EU Enlargement until 2025 and beyond
mobilise, support and engage with progressive and emancipatory forces from below (movements, citizens, local initiatives) that are truly European and pro-democratic
enhance youth and alternative voices and forces in the society
strengthen social dimension, rule of law and justice in the region
connect young and senior researchers, scholars, representatives of civil society, national and EU institutions, stakeholders, policy-makers, and citizens engaged in pro-democratic initiatives (local/regional/national)

Learn More

PROJECT PARTNERS / WB2EU Network

PROJECT INITIATORS

Austria
Austria

Austrian Society for European Politics (ÖGfE), Vienna (Coordinator & Project Leader)
Austrian Institute for International Affairs (oiip), Vienna

WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES:

Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Serbia

Cooperation and Development Institute (CDI), Tirana
University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Political Sciences
Change Experts Group, Pristina
Politikon Network (PIN), Podgorica
EUROTHINK – Center for European Strategies, Skopje
Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society, Belgrade

EU MEMBER COUNTRIES:

Bulgaria
Croatia
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Romania
Slovenia

New Bulgarian University, Centre for European Refugees, Migration and Ethnic Studies (CERMES), Sofia
Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), Zagreb
EuropaNova, Paris
Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP), Berlin
Department for Political Science & International Relations, University of the Peloponnese, Corinth
Andrássy University, Budapest
International Affairs Institute (IAI), Rome
GlobalFocus Center, Bucharest
Centre of International Relations (CIR) – University of Ljubljana

This project is co-funded by the European Commission under its Erasmus+ Jean Monnet programme.

Erasmus+ Platform

Project One Pager

Contact

Susan-Milford-Faber

CONTACT

WB2EU

Policy Briefs | Mar 15, 2023

Bringing sustainability to the Western Balkan region

By: Daniele Fattibene, Federico Castiglioni, Matteo Bonomi
The Sustainable Development Goals are an ambitious benchmark that the United Nations has adopted to scientifically assess the advancement made by single countries in sustainable growth. The European Union fully embraces these objectives and is recently anchoring to these international standards many of its plans on sustainability and development. Indeed, even though the Copenhagen criteria do not explicitly mention environmental goals, the political dialogue on the Sustainable Development Goals between Brussels and all the EU candidate countries today is vibrant but not much investigated. The authors of this Policy Brief aim to shed a light on the relationship between Sustainable Development Goals and the EU policy of enlargement, focusing the attention on the Western Balkan region, and provide policy recommendations to both European and national decision-makers.

Policy Briefs | Mar 9, 2023

Making the EU and member states policy towards the Western Balkans socio-economically more sustainable

By: Dominic Maugeais
The European Union’s enlargement policy towards the Western Balkans aims at promoting democratic reforms, good governance and economic transformation to support the countries in fulfilling the Copenhagen Criteria, as precondition for a future EU membership. This policy reflects the democratic values that are fundamental for the functioning and cohesion of the EU as a political system. The author of this Policy Brief claims that the social dimension of the enlargement policy should be strengthened, and a credible enlargement perspective should be ensured to improve the overall social and economic development outlook in the region. The socio-economic policy of the EU member states towards the Western Balkans is not long-term oriented, the author argues and proposes policy shifts to make it more sustainable.

Policy Briefs | Feb 27, 2023

Sustainable development in the Western Balkans: Is youth on board?

By: Inva Nela, Gresa Smolica
Today, the Western Balkan region suffers from high unemployment rates especially among youth, brain drain, high migration rates, low levels of trust in public institutions, devastated health systems, weak economies and harmed environments. The European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans aims to boost the long-term recovery, economic development, accelerate a green and digital transition, foster regional cooperation and convergence with the EU. However, not enough attention has so far been given to the next generation, argue the authors of this Policy Brief. In their analyses they focus on the mechanisms in place and the space offered to ensure youth participation in sectoral policy-making, provide recommendations for increasing involvement of young people and establishing more inclusive and youth-friendly policies.

Policy Briefs | Dec 21, 2022

Local elections in Montenegro: beyond political campaigns

By: Nikola Mumin
For years, one of the key objections of the European Commission in its annual reports on Montenegro has been the failure to hold local elections on one day. A prerequisite for this would be a better understanding of the work and nature of local self-governments in Montenegro. Also a separate Law on Local Elections should be adopted to additionally address the issues of open lists and individual candidatures, argues the author of this Policy Brief. He furthermore recommends a structural transition to an organisational model of local self-government, which would allow for a governance based on the actual needs of the local population.

Policy Briefs | Dec 19, 2022

Youth Cooperation in the Serbian-Hungarian Context

By: Fanni Elek, Christina Griessler
The policies of the European Union regarding the enlargement process focus not only on the political elite but also create bottom-up processes involving and supporting the population in cross-border or regional cooperation projects. Especially, the younger generation in accession countries receives more attention, as they play an important role in overcoming old animosities and are open to new ideas and perspectives. The authors of this Policy Brief, look at activities concerning youth empowerment in the EU and the Western Balkan region in general, address the regional level, and assess selected projects in the context of the Interreg-IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Hungary-Serbia from 2014-2020. They focus on activities and youth exchanges between both Serbia and Hungary as an example and discuss finance possibilities within the EU's cohesion fund.

Policy Briefs | Dec 7, 2022

Digital Europeanisation in North Macedonia: slowly moving forward

By: Dimitar Nikolovski, Aleksandar Stojanovski
In 2018, the European Commission has launched the Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans. It aims to support the transition of the region into a digital economy and society by modernising public administrations, strengthening cybersecurity, increasing connectivity, and boosting research and innovation. In recent years, North Macedonia has been trying to digitalise its public services and install digital wallets, but the process remains slow, and is riddled with problems coming from both citizens – a lack of knowledge, trust, and digital skills – and institutions, because of the need for legal amendments, inertia, the lack of understanding the benefits and trust. The authors of this Policy Brief outline the many political, social and administrative advantages that fast implementation of these services would have and formulate policy recommendations.

Policy Briefs | Dec 1, 2022

Demographic decline of Croatia: What is to be done?

By: Senada Šelo Šabić
Over the last three decades, Croatia has been steadily losing its population. The 2021 national census results show that Croatia has a population of 3,871,833 million people, 413,056 less than in 2011. Demographic decline is partly a result of wartime human losses in the 1990s, but ever since it has been steered by a combination of factors including decreasing birth rates, increasing emigration and limited immigration. Since Croatia joined the European Union in 2013, emigration of mostly young and educated hit new record highs. The author of this Policy Brief argues that the government’s policy solutions have not reversed negative demographic trends and offers policy recommendations for a progressive and comprehensive immigration policy in Croatia.

Policy Briefs | Nov 24, 2022

Listening to the people: How the Green Agenda Action Plan can do better for the Western Balkans

By: Melika Mahmutović
Extending the objectives of the European Green Deal to the Western Balkans is an important step for environmental protection in the region, which faces serious challenges related to air, water and soil pollution. The Russian war in Ukraine and consequences of the energy crisis make the green transformation even more relevant. The European Union shall provide strong support for the Western Balkan states in their journey towards energy transition and sustainable development, while ensuring stability in the region. Hence, the author of this Policy Brief argues that the Green Agenda Action Plan should strengthen a bottom-up approach and the role of environmental civil society organisations in the drafting and consultation process.

Policy Briefs | Nov 17, 2022

The Vulnerability of Women in the Labour Market in Serbia

By: Svetlana Stefanović, Maša Vračar
The European Union is a global leader in promoting gender equality and emphasises the importance of empowerment of women also in the enlargement process. Therefore, incorporating gender equality principles into domestic legislation and ratifying the relevant acquis communautaire has become an essential part of the accession process. Serbia as a candidate country for EU membership adopted several laws, a legal framework and established necessary gender equality mechanisms, but the status of gender equality policy implementation remains a challenge. That is why the authors of this Policy Brief point to the problems women face in the labour market in Serbia, present the main causes of the unemployment of young women and women 45+ and offer policy recommendations for overcoming them.