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Democratization Policy Council

@dpcglobal.bsky.social
533 followers 99 following 183 posts

An initiative for accountable democratization policy worldwide. Senior associates in Berlin, Brussels, Sarajevo, Washington, D.C.

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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
At yesterday’s (June 30) meeting of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Boad Ambassadors (#PIC SBA), the successor to outgoing High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, was to be once again discussed and decided upon. 1/
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Many questions about ongoing protests in Albania at today's midday briefing of the European Commission. Interesting to compare and contrast the Commission's clear and loud position regarding implications for Albania's EU path with its weak response to democratic backsliding in Serbia.
audiovisual.ec.europa.eu
Audiovisual Service
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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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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
DPC's Valery Perry speaks with @pippagallop.bsky.social of @ceebankwatch.bsky.social in the latest DPC Voice, our new podcast, regarding the Southern Interconnection pipeline project, which has been aggressively pushed forward by the US. open.spotify.com/episode/6uug...
open.spotify.com
DPC talks with Bankwatch's Pippa Gallop - Zagreb
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Latest opinion piece by Senior Associates @kurtbassuener.bsky.social and @tobyvogel.bsky.social: the EU should push back against a Trump-backed pipeline project in Bosnia and Herzegovina
linkedin.com
EU should take a stand against Trump-backed pipeline in Bosnia
By Kurt Bassuener and Toby Vogel The European Union claims to support the green transition in the Western Balkans. So why is it about to give in to a US-sponsored pipeline project – the so-called Sout...
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
We've been led to think that in an election 50%+1 represents a majority of preferences. Are there better options? In the latest episode of #DPCVoice, Senior Associate Valery Perry spoke w/ Peter Emerson of the De Borda Institute to try to answer this question. open.spotify.com/episode/0WHG...
open.spotify.com
DPC talks with Peter Emerson - Belfast, Northern Ireland
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
DPC's latest, by @kurtbassuener.bsky.social, on how Europe+ ought to respond to the challenge of succeeding High Rep Christian Schmidt in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It cannot simply be a personnel decision - it constitutes a strategic choice in a region where the EU has great leverage.
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
1/Potez dolazi nakon mjeseci špekulacija da SAD o pritisku na Schmidta. To označava jednu u nizu promjena pristupa SAD prema BiH počevši od prošlog Oktobra sa ukidanjem sankcija osuđenom bivšem predsjedniku RS-a Dodiku, koji je i dalje de facto lider tog entiteta. www.oslobodjenje.ba/vijesti/bih/...
oslobodjenje.ba
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
1/ Two days before his semiannual report to the UN Security Council, High Representative Christian Schmidt announced that he would be resigning his post as international High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
1/ Resource extraction, particularly mining of critical minerals, has become an increasingly visible focus of external actors in the Western Balkans. @dpcglobal.bsky.social's case study on the Vares mining project provides a detailed look into the structural dynamics at play, domestic and foreign,…
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
DPC's latest argues that the people of Hungary, who shook off an authoritarian, Russia- and MAGA-aligned regime, deserve some introspection about what made Orbán's abuse of power possible – from the EU and from other pro-democracy forces. Business as usual should not be an option.
democratizationpolicy.org
The people of Hungary deserve support, not complacency – Democratization Policy Council
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
DPC is starting an occasional series of interviews with people who have interesting perspectives on democratic opportunities, democratic threats, effective governance, changing global geopolitics, and other issues.
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Were the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela the first chance to see what operationalization of the new US National Security Strategy looks like? Senior Associate @valeryperry.bsky.social talked about this with WXXI’s Evan Dawson, exploring the downsides of a “sphere of influence” approach.
wxxinews.org
What does American action in Venezuela mean for democracy abroad?
In the first hour of "Connections with Evan Dawson" on 1/8/26, a democratization policy expert discusses potential repercussions of the Trump administration's attempts to strong-arm other nations.
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Toby Vogel 🇪🇺 @tobyvogel.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
The latest from @dpcglobal.bsky.social colleague @valeryperry.bsky.social, on today's Putin-Trump meeting
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
"Vučić’s increasingly brutal repression of peaceful protests has put the EU’s policy at an inflection point..." Latest by @tobyvogel.bsky.social and @kurtbassuener.bsky.social for @euobserver.com www.euobserver.com/eu-and-the-w...
euobserver.com
The EU's fence-sitting as Serbia's Vučić steps up violent state repression
The EU choosing “stability” in the current moment means de facto endorsement of violent repression in Serbia. The EU’s timid messaging has in fact encouraged Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić to step...
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
1/ Another sign that voters in the democracies are repelled by what they see in the US under Trump. Democratic solidarity is not hubbed in Washington anymore. apnews.com/article/aust...
apnews.com
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wins a second 3-year term
Anthony Albanese has claimed victory as the first Australian prime minister to win a second consecutive term in 21 years.
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
1/ Canadians have demonstrated their commitment to sovereignty & dignity, but also the profound impact of Trump’s policy & rhetoric. www.democratizationpolicy.org/canadians-le...
democratizationpolicy.org
Canadians Lead the Way – Democratization Policy Council
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Kurt Bassuener @kurtbassuener.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
My latest blog post for @dpcglobal.bsky.social - The Fear, Patronage, and Inat Politics of Trump 2.0 www.democratizationpolicy.org/the-fear-pat...
democratizationpolicy.org
The Fear, Patronage, and “Inat Politics” of Trump 2.0 – Democratization Policy Council
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Alleged EU statements reported by Bosnian media that EUFOR cannot conduct arrests seem based on the EU's political narrowing of its Dayton Annex 1A & 2 mandate. The renewal by the UNSC is also clear - EUFOR has the authority to take "all necessary measures" to ensure a safe and secure environment...
documents.un.org
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
1/ Latest article by DPC senior associate @valeryperry.bsky.social for @projectsyndicate.bsky.social, tying the Western Balkans to numerous processes and phenomena in the Trump 2.0 age: www.project-syndicate.org/magazine/wes...
project-syndicate.org
The Western Balkan Bellwether | by Valery Perry - Project Syndicate
Valery Perry sees the region as a window into three interconnected phenomena that will shape Europe's near-term future.
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
DPC's @kurtbassuener.bsky.social appeared with @jasminmuj.bsky.social and SNSD's Srdjan Mazalica on @aljazeeraenglish.bsky.social's Inside Story yesterday on RS President Milorad Dodik's challenge to the Dayton order and rule of law in #Bosnia. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twi7...
youtube.com
What's behind the political crisis in Bosnia Herzegovina? | Inside Story
YouTube video by Al Jazeera English
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
DPC's blog on yesterday's ugly Oval Office spectacle and the importance of tomorrow's meeting of European leaders, with President Zelenskyy, in London. Europe+ must now be the universal connector of democracies. www.democratizationpolicy.org/the-twilight...
democratizationpolicy.org
The Twilight of the West and the Need for a Europe+ – Democratization Policy Council
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
1/ Yesterday’s meeting between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy & US President Trump at the White House, in which Trump and VP JD Vance hectored Zelenskyy, who energetically refuted their false claims & emphasized his country’s need for security guarantees in any peace agreement,...
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
DPC condemns today’s raids against civic groups in Serbia as an attack on civil society. This blatant attempt at intimidation follows an assault by the Trump administration and Elon Musk on US support for liberal democracy around the world. We stand by the civic groups targeted by the Vučić regime.
n1info.rs
CRTA: Policija došla u našu kancelariju, tabloidi objavili vest pre nego što se to desilo
Iz Centra za istraživanje, transparentnost i odgovornost (CRTA) potvrdili su da je policija danas došla u njihovu kancelariju, ali su i upitali kako su tabloidi tu informaciju objavili pre nego što je...
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Senior Associate @valeryperry.bsky.social appearing on #NPR affiliate WXXI's Connections with Evan Dawson on the tectonic shifts of the past month, both in the US' international posture and impact domestically. 👇
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Kurt Bassuener @kurtbassuener.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
The latest from us on the recent tectonic shifts and their implications. 👇
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
A thread by @kurtbassuener.bsky.social on Dodik's challenge and why the EU needs to step up on deterrence in the Balkans right now. 👇
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
A blog with our collective assessment of European defense and democracy in the wake of Trump's confrontation with both - and the links to where the EU has the greatest potential leverage: the Western Balkans. www.democratizationpolicy.org/european-def...
democratizationpolicy.org
European Defense and Democracy in the Trump Era… Demands a Policy Recalibration for the Western Balkans – Democratization Policy Council
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
1/DPC’s Valery Perry reflects on what the attack on USAID may mean for democratic development and governance not just around the world – but in the US itself. www.democratizationpolicy.org/to-strangle-...
democratizationpolicy.org
To Strangle these Same Values at Home, USAID has to be Incapacitated Globally – Democratization Policy Council
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
1/ The events of the past week have crystallized a previously inchoate sense of foreboding into a recognition of a tectonic shift in transatlantic relations. The level of distrust in Europe toward the US is palpable, and the challenge recognized as existential.
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
In their latest op-ed for @euobserver.com, DPC co-founders @kurtbassuener.bsky.social and @tobyvogel.bsky.social write that the EU's position on the mass protests in Serbia effectively amounts to siding with the regime and needs to be urgently rethought.
euobserver.com
Why is the EU ignoring Serbia's student protests?
The policy posture from Brussels remains on autopilot, effectively siding with Serbia's authoritarian president Aleksandar Vučić against the student-led protesters, while continuing 'happy talk' about...
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
DPC Senior Associate @kurtbassuener.bsky.social joins a distinguished panel assembled by @geopower-eu.bsky.social to discuss the implications of Trump's policies for #Ukraine #Moldova #Georgia and the #WesternBalkans Thursday, 4 PM CET. More info: bit.ly/40l4N3f
bit.ly
Upcoming GEO-POWER Talks - Navigating Security and Alliances: The New US Administration, Ukraine, and the Western Balkans - Geo Power
GEO-POWER Talks Navigating Security and Alliances: The New US Administration, Ukraine, and the Western Balkans We are excited to announce the second session of our GEO-POWER Talks, a series of Twitter...
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
1/ Following the US election, DPC’s @valeryperry.bsky.social has brought together thoughts based on years working on & studying issues of good governance, rights-based democracy, state capture & kleptocracy in the Western Balkans and beyond in a new essay consisting of 17 short, interlinked texts.
democratizationpolicy.org
Reflections on American Democratic Threats and Opportunities: A pre-Inauguration Baseline – Democratization Policy Council
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
1/ @ec.europa.eu President @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu told media after last night’s EU-Western Balkans Summit that on Serbia’s accession negotiations, the @EUCouncil “agreed to move forward on the opening of Cluster 3, the letter is sent.”
newsroom.consilium.europa.eu
Council of EU - Newsroom
The multimedia platform of the Council of the European Union offering free of charge broadcast-quality videos (MPEG4) and photos (JPEG) of all important events and activities
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
1/ DPC is again troubled by the publication of today’s General Affairs Council conclusions on enlargement in which language reflecting Croatia’s divisive, ethnoterritorial agenda in #Bosnia and Herzegovina is incorporated. These will be endorsed by the @EUCouncil this Thursday.
data.consilium.europa.eu
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
!/ Today, Senior Associate @kurtbassuener.bsky.social proposes in @justsecurity.org that the outgoing Biden administration act to break institutional inertia in confronting the long-standing deterrence gap in #Bosnia and Herzegovina, providing a catalyst for the overdue reinforcement of EUFOR.
justsecurity.org
Biden’s Unfinished Business: A Bridge to Shore Up a European Flank – in the Balkans
Temporary US troops could restore stability and thwart Serb political leaders threatening secession amid the EU Force's weakened deterrence.
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
In the first episode of GEOPOWER Talks, DPC senior associate @tobyvogel.bsky.social discusses this year's European Commission reports on the candidate countries with colleagues from the @geopower-eu.bsky.social project, funded under the Horizon Europe program. #GEOPOWERTalks
bit.ly
GEO-POWER Talks Episode 1: The State of EU Enlargement - Geo Power
GEO-POWER Talks Episode 1: The State of EU Enlargement In this inaugural episode, our expert panel delves into the recently published EU enlargement reports, offering insights into their political nat...
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
DPC is seeking innovative applications of models developed with Eurothink to understand the links between corruption, radicalization & democratic decline - & how citizens respond to such dynamics. For more information please see: www.democratizationpolicy.org/call-for-pap...
democratizationpolicy.org
Call for Papers: Freaking Out…. Positively – Resisting Corruption, State Capture and Radicalization in a time of Democratic Decline – Democratization Policy Council
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
DPC, concerned by the High Representative's reported arguments in favor of a partial revision of the Kovacevic decision by the European Court of Human Rights in his submission to the Court, worked with Axiom Advocates (Edinburgh) to submit...
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
An op-ed co-authored by DPC's @tobyvogel.bsky.social and Bodo Weber and published by @euobserver.bsky.social offers one observation and two asks. The observation: the EU won’t be able to substitute for US power across Europe in the immediate term, but it can do so in the Balkans. To mitigate...
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Democratization Policy Council @dpcglobal.bsky.social · 02/11/2023
In this post, we spell out what’s at stake in today’s vote in the Security Council on renewing the mandate of EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even in case of a successful renewal, the West needs to get serious about its deterrence failure in the country.
democratizationpolicy.org
UNSC Meets on Deterioration in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Democratization Policy Council
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