Ongoing Crises in the Western Balkans

Ongoing Crises in the Western Balkans

General elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been scheduled for the first week of October this year. While there are still two months to go, an internationally-provoked crisis remains to be resolved. This does not sound that unusual, given the perennially “troubled” nature of the Western Balkans region. Many outsiders have grown accustomed to hearing about crises occurring several times a year throughout the Western Balkans, which include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Albania. At present, there are two significant crises that are on the path to being resolved. The first concerns a new election law in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the second arose “overnight” in Kosovo, when the Kosovar government attempted to implement a new rule for Serbian license plates and ID cards.

EUROPA UND DER KRIEG

EUROPA UND DER KRIEG

Der Ukraine Krieg geht in sein sechstes Monat. Und noch immer ist kein Ende abzusehen. Zwar gab es jüngst eine Vereinbarung zwischen Russland und der Ukraine - auf Vermittlung der UNO und der Türkei - über Weizenlieferungen aus der Ukraine. Und das ist in Bezug auf die Nahrungsmitteknappheit und den Hunger in etlichen Regionen der Welt ein wichtiger Schritt. Es ist schwierig zu erkennen ob es weitere - informelle und geheime - Gesprächskontakte zwischen den beiden Kriegsparteien gibt.

Women in the Fight for Truth and Justice

Women in the Fight for Truth and Justice

For the 27th annual commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide, the Srebrenica Memorial Center has chosen to dedicate this year to the mothers and women of Srebrenica. Their heroic role in the events in Srebrenica during the war, the days after the fall of Srebrenica, as well as the struggle and activism in post-war society has been underestimated and neglected. Through their activities, projects and research, this year the Memorial Center has highlighted the role of women. It is to remind us that without their never-ending fight for the truth and justice, many aspects of the genocide would not be known today.

ENLARGEMENT -- IS THE EU MOVING FORWARD?

ENLARGEMENT -- IS THE EU MOVING FORWARD?

I am currently in Belgrade at the invitation of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy. It is as hot here as in Vienna and many other parts of Europe, and the liveliness of the city is comparable to many EU cities. Nevertheless, the meeting of the European Council a few days prior failed to bring this or any other city or country of the Western Balkans any closer to EU membership. In all discussions I have had here in Belgrade, I can sense a deep disappointment over the decision -- or rather non-decision -- of the recent Council meeting.

Ukraine on its Way to the European Union: A Necessary but Risky Path

Ukraine on its Way to the European Union: A Necessary but Risky Path

I am still very much under the impression of the interview with Olena Halushka, a fighter against corruption in Ukraine, about the future status of Ukraine as a candidate for the EU membership. ( Watch the interview….) Asked about the future relationship with Russia she underlined, that reconciliation with Russia is only possible after a clear victory for Ukraine and a “deputinization”, demilitarization, denuclearization of Russia, the punishment of all generals etc. Emotionally one can understand this hard and uncompromising line, but is it a way to look forward, even considering all the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine? Can Ukraine with this stringent line join a European Union, which is built on reconciliation and cooperation?

50 YEARS OF CONNECTING AND DECOUPLING

50 YEARS OF CONNECTING AND DECOUPLING

Fifty years ago, an important decision was made in Vienna: the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW) was founded. As president of the Institute, I took the opportunity at the traditional spring summit to highlight the trajectory of Europe over these past 50 years. Europe has been divided, and no end to this division was foreseen 50 years ago. However, behind the decision to establish such an institute was the idea -- or rather the hope -- of a slow convergence between Europe’s east and west. Needless to say, things turned out differently. We have witnessed a mixture of gradual developments and disruptive changes as well as a combination of integration and disintegration -- sometimes at the same time.

FROM SREBRENICA TO BUCHA

FROM SREBRENICA TO BUCHA

Thirty years after the beginning of the atrocities in Srebrenica that culminated in genocide in 1995, Luka Cekic and I -- on behalf of the IIP -- paid a visit to the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center and Cemetery in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The visit was organized by an engaged young Austrian who is spending his civil service at the Center. We spent an emotional two days talking to relatives of victims who manage the Center, and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding to serve as the basis for future cooperation between the Center and the IIP for the years ahead. In the coming weeks, the IIP will publishing several interviews completed by Luka Cekic during our visit. In this blog, I will try to present some reflections and conclusions -- particularly in light of the recent atrocities committed in Ukraine.

WESTERN  BALKANS - THE EU MUST ACT NOW

WESTERN  BALKANS - THE EU MUST ACT NOW

It is obvious and justified that for the moment, due to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the attention of the West and particularly the EU is entirely directed toward the war in Ukraine and the threat of future attacks against Moldova or Georgia. In addition, we can anticipate a largely positive reaction by EU institutions to these three countries’ membership aspirations. But how can people in these countries have confidence in the EU’s reaction to their requests and aspirations when the countries of the Western Balkans have experienced so much neglect and disappointment over the years? What will they think about the promises given to them when they realize how many promises given to countries of the Western Balkans have been broken?