Ioannis Armakolas and Isabelle Ioannides co-authored alongside Zoran Nechev, Oana Popescu-Zamfir, Valbona Zeneli and Nikola Dimitrov a timely piece on the topic of the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans. The policy brief was published by the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) with the support of the ERSTE Foundation.

The policy brief examines the current state of EU enlargement and its implications for the Western Balkans, highlighting how the war in Ukraine has altered the EU’s strategic perspective on enlargement. It emphasizes the renewed push for institutional reform and addresses the issue of bilateral blockages, proposing the Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) solution as a potential remedy. The brief explores possible interim solutions such as the gradual integration through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, and analyzes the political landscape post-European elections, suggesting pathways forward for EU enlargement. The document concludes with key recommendations to advance the enlargement process.

You can read the paper here.

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Photo Credit/Tomislav Georgiev

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Ioannis Armakolas Senior Research Fellow, Head, South-East Europe Programme
Isabelle Ioannides Senior Research Fellow, International peace and security, EU foreign policy, EU enlargement, Western Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean