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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)

@biepag.bsky.social
312 followers 24 following 156 posts

Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) is a group of policy analysts, scholars and researchers from Western Balkans and EU. ℹ️ www.biepag.eu

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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
New BiEPAG Op-ed by Jovana Marović: is Montenegro really a risk to EU stability? Ten enlargement myths, tested against the facts. 👉 Read: tinyurl.com/bdfcbfwn #Montenegro #EUEnlargement #BiEPAG
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
New BiEPAG Op-ed by Giorgio Fruscione: has the international community forgotten Bosnia and Herzegovina? A vacant High Representative post exposes deep divisions among its international partners. 👉 Read: tinyurl.com/5brbm6t2 #BosniaAndHerzegovina #WesternBalkans #BiEPAG
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
📢 New BiEPAG Policy Paper by Donika Emini & Dimitar Bechev How the Western Balkans are becoming security contributors, not just recipients — and what's still missing for deeper EU integration. 👉 Read: shorturl.at/zpF7U #WesternBalkans #BiEPAG
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
📢 Final call: BiEPAG Survey The BiEPAG survey closes today, Monday, 21 September. If you haven’t completed it yet, please take a few minutes to do so. 👇👇👇
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
📢 We need your feedback! The deadline for the BiEPAG survey has been extended until 21 September. The survey takes around 7 minutes and is confidential. 👇 Take the survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/RT9R6T9 #BiEPAG #WesternBalkans #Research
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
📢 BiEPAG wants to hear from you! How has BiEPAG’s analysis, podcasts and advocacy contributed to your work? Share your experience, views and suggestions for our future work. 📝 Take the 7-minute survey by 18 Sept. 👇 tinyurl.com/3bb8hd59 #BiEPAG #BiEPAG #Research
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
BiEPAG member Giorgio Fruscione spoke to @NewUnionPost about the recent meeting between Aleksandar Vučić and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Serbia–Ukraine relations, and the role of EU accession. 🔎 Read the full article: tinyurl.com/5n8zv93s #BiEPAG #EUEnlargement #Serbia #Ukraine
tinyurl.com
The unexpected Serbia-Ukraine alliance on EU accession
The Vučić–Zelensky meeting in Belgrade showed that EU enlargement is "the only real common ground" shared by Serbia and Ukraine, says Giorgio Fruscione (ISPI)
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
🌍 Beyond Stability: Who Governs the Western Balkans? Vera Tika explores how civic mobilisations across the region are reshaping democratic demands. 📖 Read the full op-ed on our website: tinyurl.com/33aj5hfx Image credits: protesti.pics #WesternBalkans #Democracy
tinyurl.com
Beyond Stability: Who Governs the Western Balkans?
More than sixty years ago, Robert Dahl posed a deceptively simple question: Who governs? His inquiry was not merely about who holds office, but about how power is exercised, who benefits from polit...
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
🎙️ New episode of “Seriously Enlargement” is out! In our first episode Donika Emini talks with Timothée Truelle and Natasha Wunsch about France’s evolving view on EU enlargement, the future of Europe, and what it means for the Western Balkans. 🎧 Listen now: tinyurl.com/45wbanhu
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
🇷🇸 Srebrenica cannot be openly discussed in autocratic Serbia. The genocide has become a political instrument wielded by the state. Dragan Popović argues that only democracy can create the conditions necessary for truth, acknowledgment, and regional reconciliation. New op-ed: tinyurl.com/mrx576ua
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
🇷🇸 Serbia's student movement has emerged as the only political force challenging the regime. But can they keep Serbia on the EU path? In her BiEPAG op-ed, Jelena Vasiljević examines what post-Vučić Serbia needs to avoid being lost to competing geopolitical projects. Read now: tinyurl.com/9t2hp9xy
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
⛏️ New BiEPAG study is out! 🌳 The EU needs critical raw materials for its green transition. The Western Balkans has them. But can mining projects proceed in weak institutional environments without sacrificing democracy and environmental protection? 🔗 Download from our website: tinyurl.com/yc4mkvck
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
⚖️ Montenegro leads EU accession negotiations. Yet its public sector has ballooned by 5.500 employees in six years. One in three workers is employed by the state. Alessandro Ieranò examines the paradox of progress on paper versus dysfunction on the ground. Read his blog: tinyurl.com/224acuyr
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
🏛️ Across the Western Balkans, mass protests rise while opposition parties weaken. Citizens turn to streets because they no longer trust institutions. 🔍 Bernard Nikaj and Lura Pollozhani examine what this democratic disconnect means for the region. 🔗 New BiEPAG blog is online: tinyurl.com/5zbcbzfv
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Reposted by Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
The New Union Post @newunionpost.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
The way and timing of #Vucic announcement point to "a game of castling in chess – relinquishing the presidency to assume the office of prime minister while preserving effective political control" in #Serbia, explains Giorgio Fruscione (@biepag.bsky.social) newunionpost.eu/2026/06/29/v...
newunionpost.eu
Behind Vučić’s words on resignation and elections in Serbia
It seems "a game of castling in chess" – relinquishing the presidency for the role of prime minister and preserving power in Serbia, explains Fruscione (ISPI)
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Reposted by Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
Dragoș Ioniță @dragosionita.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
A new @biepag.bsky.social policy paper examines why democratic breakthroughs in the #WesternBalkans & other competitive authoritarian regimes fail to produce lasting democratic change. www.biepag.eu/publication/...
biepag.eu
The Narrow Corridor of Re-Democratization in the Western Balkans (and beyond): Making Democratic Breakthroughs Work
A new BiEPAG policy paper by Florian Bieber, Claudia Laštro, and Enej Lovrečič examines why democratic breakthroughs in the Western Balkans and other competitive authoritarian regimes so o...
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
📋 New BiEPAG policy brief is out! When competitive authoritarian regimes fall at the ballot box, there is a narrow window for reform. Yet most democratic breakthroughs fail. @fbieber.bsky.social, Claudia Laštro, and Enej Lovrečič examine why and what must change. Read now: tinyurl.com/jck8k2j5
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
🎙️In Episode 25 of our podcast, BiEPAG Fellow Gresa Hasa and Member of the Albanian Parliament Redi Muçi examine mass protests demanding accountability from PM Rama and opposition leader Berisha. Hosted by Florian Bieber. 🎧Tune in for a discussion on "the flamingo revolution": tinyurl.com/4ywkcnsp
The episode discusses the mass protests in Albania against the development of Sazan Island and the cost in Southern Albania by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Since, the protest movement has turned to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister Edi Rama and the opposition leader Sali Berisha. It explores the causes, the Prime Minister's response, and the potential role of the EU. Quickly, the movement has become the largest civic protest in Albania in decades, reflecting a broader dissatisfaction the dominant political and economic system.
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
🗳️Vetëvendosje remains the largest party, but Kurti's gamble cost him. Turnout collapsed from 48% to 37%. Voters stayed home, signaling lost faith in a process defined by confrontation over compromise. Donika Emini examines what these results reveal about Kosovo's democracy. 🔗 tinyurl.com/3zp7cu7n
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
🔊 The Serbian and Albanian protests use charged ethnonyms as political weapons. Yet beneath these slogans lies a shared struggle for democracy, rule of law, and environmental protection. In our BiEPAG blog, Aleksandar Pavlović contextualizes what unites these movements. 🔗 tinyurl.com/23m9uu3y
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
The Merz-Macron proposal on gradual integration offers a European Economic Area+ model. But does it address the real challenge? EU must follow through with internal reforms and deliver predictable accession pathways. Marina Vulović and Odeta Barbullushi analyze the stakes. 🔗 tinyurl.com/7rsfnmnr
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
🦩 The Zvërnec mega-resort project has sparked debate over project governance, environmental protection, and decision-making transparency in Albania. Lutjona Lula examines systemic issues exposed by ongoing mass protests over Jared Kushner-linked resort in Albania. 🔗 tinyurl.com/46jdhzew
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
📢 New BiEPAG study chapter is now online ✍️ In her analysis, BiEPAG member Jelena Vasiljević examines how environmental activism has evolved into one of the most influential forms of civic mobilization in the Western Balkans. 📖 Read here ⬇️ tinyurl.com/ahawckpr
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Serbia's Growth Plan funding hangs in balance. Only six of 34 reforms implemented by March 2026. ⚖️ The EU freezes payments over judicial independence, yet hesitates to call it. Will geopolitics trump rule of law? Read the analysis from BiEPAG Fellow Ivana Miličević. 🔗 tinyurl.com/28vyasen
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
⛏️ New BiEPAG study chapter "Mining in the Western Balkans: Who Really Profits?" by Biljana Jovanović, Kristijan Fidanovski, and Branimir Jovanović explores who captures the gains from the region’s growing mining sector and critical raw materials projects. 📖 Read the chapter: tinyurl.com/296j73hj
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Reposted by Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
Kurt Bassuener @kurtbassuener.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
My latest guest blog for @biepag.bsky.social on how Europe+ can take the initiative in the #WB6 in the interests of these countries' citizens - and their own. www.biepag.eu/blog/europe-...
biepag.eu
Europe+ Needs to Ensure Security in the Western Balkans – Including Its Own
Most Western Balkan leaders comfortably inhabit an indeterminate gray zone. They want the validation and benefits of being EU partners without paying the freight. In this sense, the entropy in Bosn...
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Western Balkans leaders claim EU partnership while avoiding responsibility. Bosnia and Herzegovina sits at the center of regional instability, yet Europe+ has the leverage to reset this dynamic. A bold new strategic vision is imperative. Read the full analysis by @kurtbassuener.bsky.social ⬇️
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
🔔 New BiEPAG blog Serbian students’ “Memorandum on Kosovo” sparked outrage at home and abroad, but its actual position is political mainstream. ✍️ Nikola Burazer argues its nationalist rhetoric is unlikely to shape the broader dynamics of the dialogue process. 📖 Read ⬇️ tinyurl.com/2m2fredz
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
📢 New BiEPAG study chapter ⛏️ Legal and Environmental Aspects of Mining in the Western Balkans This chapter, authored by a group of contributors, examines environmental governance, legal frameworks, and public participation in mining projects across the region. 📖 Read here ⬇️ tinyurl.com/363ek4c7
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Reposted by Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
The New Union Post @newunionpost.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
#Montenegro Accession Treaty is set to become a model for all the other EU candidates – not only for the Western Balkans, but potentially also for Ukraine and Moldova, explain @biepag.bsky.social members @jomarovic.bsky.social and Odeta Barbullushi newunionpost.eu/2026/05/20/m...
newunionpost.eu
Montenegro's EU Accession Treaty is set to become a model
An Accession Treaty combining full membership with safeguard mechanisms can be
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
🔔 New BiEPAG blog ✍️ Gresa Hasa 🔹 Edi Rama is Offended by Corruption Can GDP growth be used as proof that corruption is declining? Gresa Hasa argues that economic growth figures can obscure systemic governance failures, corruption risks, and state capture in Albania. 📖 Read ⬇️ tinyurl.com/48a83956
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Reposted by Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
Nikolaos Tzifakis @tzifakis.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Out now! 📢My new work: "The EU and authoritarian norm diffusion in the Western Balkans" Proud to be featured alongside a group of distinguished experts in this new volume edited by Igor Vidačak. 🔓Read it here (it's Open Access): doi.org/10.4324/9781... @biepag.bsky.social @geopower-eu.bsky.social
doi.org
The Western Balkans and the Challenges of EU Accession | The Resilient
This book provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary analysis of the transformation of Western Balkan candidate countries as they move toward European Union
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
🔔 This month, we will present chapters from our forthcoming BiEPAG study on mining in the Western Balkans. Florian Bieber (@fbieber.bsky.social) explores the geopolitical dimensions of mining projects and growing competition over critical raw materials in the region. 📘 Read ⬇️ tinyurl.com/y699t978
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
🔔 New BiEPAG Podcast #24 ⛏️🏗️ Mining & Real Estate in the Balkans: Is Corrosive Capital Western now? From Jadar Valley to Vareš, this episode explores how major mining projects affect governance, public trust, and environmental justice across the Western Balkans. 🎧 Listen now ⬇️ tinyurl.com/hb2884f8
Mining & Real Estate in the Balkans: Is Corrosive Capital Western now?

There are growing tensions around mining, environmental justice, and large-scale investment projects in the Western Balkans. As the region becomes increasingly important for Europe’s green transition and real estate development, local communities are raising concerns about environmental degradation, opaque decision-making, and the weakening of democratic safeguards.

The episode explores cases ranging from Rio Tinto’s lithium project in Serbia and the Vareš mining project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Belgrade Waterfront and Velika Plaža in Montenegro, asking how these projects reshape local governance and public trust — and whether corrosive forms of capital are no longer associated only with non-Western actors.

The discussion features Vedran Džihić (Senior Researcher at OIIP and BiEPAG member), Barbara Frey (MSCA PF Fellow at the University of Rijeka), and Iliriana Gjoni (Research Analyst at Carnegie Europe), and is moderated by Tena Prelec (Assistant Professor at the University of Rijeka and BiEPAG member)
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
🔔 New BiEPAG podcast 🎙️ Hungary after Orbán Hungary’s 12 April elections brought a landslide victory for Peter Magyar’s Tisza party, ending 16 years of Fidesz rule. What does this shift mean for the Balkans and for illiberal alliances in the region? 🎧 Listen here⬇️ open.spotify.com/episode/3Sst...
On April 12th, 2026, parliamentary elections in Hungary resulted in a landslide victory for the opposition Tisza party of Peter Magyar, ousting the incumbent Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party after 16 years in government. The Hungarian elections were closely followed by media outlets throughout Southeast Europe. The change in government will greatly impact all countries of the region, especially in terms of support for illiberal and autocratic leaders who have so far enjoyed a warm welcome in Budapest.
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
🔔 New BiEPAG policy brief 🔹 Mining in the Western Balkans: How to counter authoritarian extractivism? As the EU secures critical raw materials, mining in the Western Balkans raises concerns over governance, environmental risks, and weak public participation. 📄 Read here ⬇️ tinyurl.com/mrxz77xh
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
🔔 New BiEPAG blog ✍️ Giorgio Fruscione 🔹 The US and the Legitimation of Secessionism in Bosnia The removal of US sanctions against Milorad Dodik carries powerful symbolism in BiH, potentially legitimizing secessionist ambitions and weakening the Dayton framework. 📖 Read here ⬇️ tinyurl.com/yd3u43pe
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Reposted by Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
SWP Europe @swp-europe.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
🎧 Worth a listen: Marina Vulović is currently a Visiting Fellow at SWP EU/Europe and discusses the dynamics of Serbia’s student protest movement on the @biepag.bsky.social-Talk. Policy Brief: www.biepag.eu/wp-content/u...
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
🔔 New BiEPAG blog ✍️ Gresa Hasa 🔹 Corruption Is Terrible, If You’re Not the One Doing It Anti-corruption protests in Albania reveal a deeper political rivalry, as opposition actors compete to reclaim legitimacy amid corruption scandals and institutional reshuffling. Read here⬇️ tinyurl.com/5n75zxvr
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
🔔 Seriously Balkans – The BiEPAG Talks ep.22 🔹 The Student Protest Movement in Serbia: What does the Future hold? 🎙️ Our BiEPAG Coordinator @fbieber.bsky.social is hosting his guests: 🔸Marina Vulović 🔸Jelena Vasiljević 🔸 Nikola Burazer 👇 Tune in now 👇 open.spotify.com/episode/1Y48...
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
🔔New policy brief ✍️J. Marović & O. Barbullushi 🔹How Accession Treaties Can Strengthen Europe The brief argues for enforceable safeguards, rule-of-law conditionality, and performance-based integration. EU accession treaties must become tools for democratic resilience. 📄https://tinyurl.com/ycbuu8wy
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Reposted by Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
Gresa Hasa @gresahasa.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
My latest article for @biepag.bsky.social looks into the 56th World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, and the challenges of small countries in the WB6 in navigating power and diplomacy in an era of unstable alliances. I invite you to take a look! 👇🏻
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
✍️BiEPAG blog by @gresahasa.bsky.social 🔹Navigating Power Without Power: The Western Balkans in an Era of Unstable Alliances As global alliances shift and multilateral norms weaken, Western Balkan states are forced into pragmatic diplomacy to protect their interests. 📖 Read here tinyurl.com/BiEPAG
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
🔔 New BiEPAG blog ✍️ Donika Emini 🔹 Snap Election in Kosovo: The one when Vetëvendosje takes it all Kosovo’s snap elections ended a year of political deadlock, delivering Vetëvendosje a rare one-party majority and reshaping the country’s political landscape. 📖 Read here ⬇️ tinyurl.com/5n9yvrvc
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Reposted by Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
Dragoș Ioniță @dragosionita.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Throughout 2025, Europe, and foremost the EU, have been sidelined as partners and often depicted as adversaries of the US. A new @biepag.bsky.social discussion explores the implications of this emerging transatlantic rift on the #WesternBalkans. open.spotify.com/episode/4ntK...
open.spotify.com
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 21
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
🔔 Seriously Balkans – The BiEPAG Talks ep.21 🔹 The Western Balkans under Trump 🎙️ Our BiEPAG member @damirkapidzic.bsky.social is hosting his guests: 🔸@filipejdus.bsky.social 🔸Biljana Kotevska #WesternBalkans #TransatlanticRelations 👇 Tune in for more 👇 open.spotify.com/episode/4ntK...
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
🔔 This year's last episode is out 🎙️ Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG talks ep. 20 30 years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, a whole generation has grown up under a frozen constitutional system. What does “Dayton” mean for those born after the war? Listen here 👇 open.spotify.com/episode/6tUG...
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
🔔Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG talks ep.19 🔹The predicament of media and press freedom in the Balkans 🎙️Our BiEPAG member Giorgio Fruscione is hosting his guests: Lejla Mazlic and @slobageorgiev.bsky.social #MediaFreedom 👇Tune in for more on this topic👇 open.spotify.com/episode/5thu...
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
🔔New BiEPAG policy brief: 🔹Resetting the EU’s Approach to Serbia: Lessons from the 2024-25 Protests 📝Authors: BiEPAG members Nikola Burazer, Marina Vulović, and Jelena Vasiljević. #Serbia #EU #StudentProtests #StudentLedProtests #EUAccession ⬇️ tinyurl.com/ya2eyrk8
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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) @biepag.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
🔔Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG talks ep.18 🔹A Change in #RepublikaSrpska? 🎙️Host @damirkapidzic.bsky.social Guests: @dzenetakarabeg.bsky.social University of Salzburg @vedrandzihic.bsky.social @infooiip.bsky.social / BiEPAG #BiH #Dodik 🎧Tune in👇 open.spotify.com/episode/1GK0...
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