Together we want to work towards our real EUtopian idea, our vision for Europe’s future. Given the historic momentum Europe finds itself in, not only do we need to learn how to dream of utopias but we need to learn to actively live in them.

After two years of blockade, EU member states during July reached a consensus on opening negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. Ukraine and Moldova became candidate countries for membership in the European Union. Many believe that the war in Ukraine has returned the focus of the member states to the enlargement process.

In light of the most serious threat to peace in Europe since the World War II, Europe’s “hour” now finally needs to arrive. The current momentum for an independent, democratic and geopolitical union that welcomes its neighbours with open arms should not be missed.

What is driving the vaccination uptake divide between Western and Eastern Europe? What can be done to overcome these challenges? Tune into this LSE IDEAS and Ratiu Forum webinar examining vaccine hesitancy in marginalised local identities in Central and South-Eastern Europe. Meet the speakers and chair

How did the narratives about the EU and the process of getting the vaccines in 2021 change over time in Austria? How did Austrian media contribute to the spread of the narratives?

A renewed EU enlargement policy, with genuine commitment to the European future of the region, should be built on the mobilisation and trust of its people. This is what the Western Balkans and the European continent as a whole during the pandemic need.

By: Philipp Heimberger, Andreas Lichtenberger
The member states of the European Union need to increase public investment to transform the energy and transport system and achieve climate targets. This necessity is also highlighted due to the geopolitical circumstances surrounding the war in Ukraine, in particular the price increases caused by fossil fuels. Current public spending is not sufficient to successfully fight climate change, argue the authors of the Policy Brief. They analyse the prospective reform of EU fiscal rules as announced by the European Commission, suggest the establishment of a permanent EU investment fund for climate and offer policy recommendations.

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.

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.

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.

By: Ewald Nowotny
In order to avoid a looming deep crisis in Europe, the European Union has to counter several challenges at the same time, such as Russia’s war on Ukraine, geopolitical tensions, inflation, energy dependency, climate change or demographic developments. With regard to the EU’s strategic agenda, the author of this Policy Brief argues that a better understanding of the medium- and long-term developments ahead is necessary. In addition, he illustrates the need for a comprehensive understanding of the various interacting elements of the global polycrisis, analyses different perspectives for the EU’s policy orientation and offers policy recommendations.

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.

Approval for EU membership has been declining since the beginning of the Corona crisis. Critical view on the role of the EU in procuring vaccines and cushioning the economic consequences of the pandemic. Support for joint EU vaccination certificate.

70 percent: Austria should remain an EU member, 14 percent: Austria should leave the EU

62 percent: Work and tasks of the EU Parliament are important / 68 percent feel badly informed

Two thirds of respondents support increased humanitarian and climate engagement – 58 percent in favour of a new EU treaty

Highest support for Bosnia-Herzegovina (36 percent) - Lowest support for Kosovo (25 percent)

73 percent: Austria should remain an EU member, 13 percent: Austria should leave the EU / 29 percent: Bigger EU budget is needed