Fast-paced or sluggish? The EU accession of the Western Balkans amidst geostrategic rivalries
SWP Podcast 2023/eP 04, 08.11.2023 Research AreasThe Western Balkans are of high geostrategic importance for the European Union. Marina Vulović and Florian Bieber discuss how the European integration of the countries in the region can be achieved and how geopolitical shifts - from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the rise of China – are impacting this process. Host: Esme Nicholson.
Marina Vulović, PhD is an Associate in the EU/Europe Division. She explores the geostrategic importance of the Western Balkans for the EU and beyond. She is working for the project Geostrategic competition for the EU in the Western Balkans. Florian Bieber, PhD is a professor of Southeast European History and Politics and Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz, Austria. He coordinates the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG).
