Dr. Isabelle Ioannides (Senior Research Fellow, South-East Europe Programme – ELIAMEP) was a guest of journalist Kalli Zarali on the ERT3 show SYNOΡA.
Dr. Ioannides discussed the European Growth Pact for the Western Balkans, an ambitious financial plan aiming to reinvigorate interest in the Union’s enlargement, while aligning the economies of candidate countries with the European one. Within the framework of this program, the EU will allocate approximately €6 billion in loans and grants. She provided a detailed overview of the conditions attached to the Pact, stressing the importance of implementing substantive reforms, which the countries themselves are expected to propose and commit to carrying out. The undertaking is a demanding one, as the reform process is often confronted with the persistent challenge of corruption in the region, an issue on which the EU places particular emphasis. Finally, she highlighted the message the EU is sending to the Western Balkans through this Pact, at a time of significant geopolitical challenges both for the Union and for the region itself.
You can watch Dr. Ioannidou’s full interview here.
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