The Strategic Planning for EU Defence and the Role of the Western Balkans

Dr. Ioannis Armakolas, Head of the South-East Europe Programme at ELIAMEP and Director of the initiative think nea – New Narratives of EU Integration, was a guest on the TV programme “Synora”, hosted by journalist Kalli Zarali. He spoke about developments in European defence, the EU’s strategic planning for its defence posture up to 2030, and the role that the Western Balkan countries play in this process.

Dr. Armakolas also spoke on the occasion of the publication of the new thematic report by the think nea – New Narratives of EU Integration initiative (supported by Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans) titled: “Europe’s Overlooked Allies: Why the Western Balkans Matter for EU Defence Readiness” (authored by Dr. Ana Krstinovska and Dr. Alessandro Marrone). The report highlights the strategic importance of the Western Balkans in the context of the EU’s pursuit of strategic autonomy and enhanced defence readiness. It underlines that, although Western Balkan countries are not yet EU member states, they have proven their value as essential security contributors and partners.

As the EU develops its strategic defence planning through to 2030—investing around €650 billion as part of the ReArm programme—and as the landscape of common defence and security becomes more complex than ever, the Western Balkans are emerging as critical partners. Drawing on the report’s conclusions, Dr. Armakolas noted that, despite their strategic value and their longstanding tradition (since the Yugoslav era) in producing ammunition and equipment for the defence industry, Western Balkan countries remain outside the EU’s institutional defence mechanisms. At the same time, he stressed that their inclusion in European defence programmes, increased EU investment in local defence industries, and the linkage of defence cooperation with EU enlargement could serve as catalysts for the region’s accession process.

You can watch the full episode in Greek here.

You can read the new thematic report by the think nea – New Narratives of EU Integration initiative here.