This year’s Progress Report on Turkey, released on the 14th of October, surely came at a critical juncture for Turkey. Over the last year, accession negotiations have been proceeding at a snail’s pace and run the risk of coming to a complete standstill unless there is some substantive progress on Cyprus. In addition, at the [...]

The last twelve months have been difficult for the European Union’s policy towards the Western Balkans. Slovenia held up Croatia’s membership talks for ten months, Greece continued preventing the opening of negotiations with FYROM, and several countries attempted to block Kosovo on its European path. Across the region, the receding prospect of accession has weakened [...]

VP Biden’s speech at the State dinner in Belgrade last week included a reference to Serbia’s leading role as a regional stabilizer. Newspaper articles in the US used phrases like “new relations” and a “new page”. “Serbia Welcomes Biden on Balkan Tour” stated The New York Times.
To many in DC this was a surprise.  [...]

The Brussels-based “International Crisis Group” (ICG) issued a new report on the so-called “name dispute” between Athens and Skopje[1]. Its alleged aim is to provide a set of proposals for the two parties to reach an agreement, thus clearing the way for “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (FYROM) to join NATO and eventually [...]