“It is important to inform and convince the EU public about the salience and relevance of the Western Balkans as a fundamental part of Europe”

Alejandro Esteso Pérez , Programme Executive at Friends of Europe in charge of organising the EU-Western Balkans Summit, reflects today on this event and its relevancy. Do not miss the replies below!

What were the main topics discussed at the EU-Western Balkans Summit and why was it important for Friends of Europe to host these discussions?

Many events at a global scale have made 2022 a very different year, namely a turning point after which multilateral and international relationships are not going to be the same. The needs, challenges and opportunities of Europe have also changed – including the system of alliances and principles that holds its internal machinery together. Here, the Western Balkans emerge as a fundamental piece of the jigsaw puzzle: non-EU countries with (generally) pro-EU populations that are working towards transitioning to strong market economies, and which, to varying degrees, are flawed democracies. Their place in Europe (not only in the EU) is a constant fight for, first, their mere survival, and second, for the self-assertion of their existence.

The EU-Western Balkans Summit wanted to take stock of these global shifts and place the Western Balkans at the heart of the discussion. The Summit touched upon not only matters of security and warfare, but also most importantly focused on how to make the region better and more prosperous in and of itself: practical solutions for the youth, the promotion and empowerment of smaller alternative industries and ventures, and the benefits of regional cooperation were some of the topics discussed.

Before the event, we asked our audience if they consider that the Balkan voices are listened to enough in the EU. What is your view in that regard?

I believe that Western Balkan voices are listened to, but are not taken seriously enough. High-level political discussions on these countries’ status vis-à-vis the EU tend to become stagnated and go around in circles, eventually generating disenfranchisement and disbelief among citizens.

It is important to inform and convince the EU public in earnest about the salience and relevance of the Western Balkans as a fundamental part of Europe. This way, the EU public will become less malleable and less susceptible to domestic political whims that torpedo the alignment process and unfairly hold it hostage, and it will become more critical towards decisions that render the European integration of the Western Balkans sluggish and exasperating.

How does the Balkans Summit fall within Friends of Europe’s Peace, Defence and Security work?

Friends of Europe’s Balkan Journey is one of the underpinning initiatives of our Peace, Security and Defence area of expertise. Within it, the EU-Western Balkans Summit is well consolidated as one of its flagships. As with all our other initiatives in this area, we try to make sense of the everchanging international environment from the point of view of a diversity of actors – states, regions, multilateral organisations, private companies and citizens, to name a few – and craft specific recommendations to take forward at the individual, local, national and global levels. This Summit in particular contributes to our efforts of developing a more unified and consistent cross-sectional approach towards the EU’s neighbourhood and external partners.