Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) is a group of policy analysts, scholars and researchers from Western Balkans and EU. ℹ️ www.biepag.euhttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mstcx4s7rk2pBiEPAG member Giorgio Fruscione spoke to @NewUnionPost about the recent meeting between Aleksandar Vučić and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Serbia–Ukraine relations, and the role of EU accession. 🔎 Read the full article: tinyurl.com/5n8zv93s #BiEPAG #EUEnlargement #Serbia #Ukraine https://tinyurl.com/5n8zv93s11 Aug 2026 19:10 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mstcx4s7rk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mr3i25bgc22p🌍 Beyond Stability: Who Governs the Western Balkans? Vera Tika explores how civic mobilisations across the region are reshaping democratic demands. 📖 Read the full op-ed on our website: tinyurl.com/33aj5hfx Image credits: protesti.pics #WesternBalkans #Democracy https://tinyurl.com/33aj5hfx20 Jul 2026 14:12 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr3i25bgc22phttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mqtdht5zoc2r🎙️ New episode of “Seriously Enlargement” is out! In our first episode Donika Emini talks with Timothée Truelle and Natasha Wunsch about France’s evolving view on EU enlargement, the future of Europe, and what it means for the Western Balkans. 🎧 Listen now: tinyurl.com/45wbanhu17 Jul 2026 08:29 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqtdht5zoc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mqburnxdy22p🇷🇸 Srebrenica cannot be openly discussed in autocratic Serbia. The genocide has become a political instrument wielded by the state. Dragan Popović argues that only democracy can create the conditions necessary for truth, acknowledgment, and regional reconciliation. New op-ed: tinyurl.com/mrx576ua10 Jul 2026 09:51 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqburnxdy22phttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mq7rzd3ktc2u🇷🇸 Serbia's student movement has emerged as the only political force challenging the regime. But can they keep Serbia on the EU path? In her BiEPAG op-ed, Jelena Vasiljević examines what post-Vučić Serbia needs to avoid being lost to competing geopolitical projects. Read now: tinyurl.com/9t2hp9xy09 Jul 2026 13:56 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq7rzd3ktc2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mq2obxih3s2o⛏️ New BiEPAG study is out! 🌳 The EU needs critical raw materials for its green transition. The Western Balkans has them. But can mining projects proceed in weak institutional environments without sacrificing democracy and environmental protection? 🔗 Download from our website: tinyurl.com/yc4mkvck07 Jul 2026 13:06 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq2obxih3s2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mpxsq63zek27⚖️ Montenegro leads EU accession negotiations. Yet its public sector has ballooned by 5.500 employees in six years. One in three workers is employed by the state. Alessandro Ieranò examines the paradox of progress on paper versus dysfunction on the ground. Read his blog: tinyurl.com/224acuyr06 Jul 2026 09:48 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpxsq63zek27https://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mpo75w7ur22c🏛️ Across the Western Balkans, mass protests rise while opposition parties weaken. Citizens turn to streets because they no longer trust institutions. 🔍 Bernard Nikaj and Lura Pollozhani examine what this democratic disconnect means for the region. 🔗 New BiEPAG blog is online: tinyurl.com/5zbcbzfv02 Jul 2026 14:04 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpo75w7ur22chttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mp4dqnyoys2i📋 New BiEPAG policy brief is out! When competitive authoritarian regimes fall at the ballot box, there is a narrow window for reform. Yet most democratic breakthroughs fail. @fbieber.bsky.social, Claudia Laštro, and Enej Lovrečič examine why and what must change. Read now: tinyurl.com/jck8k2j525 Jun 2026 11:38 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp4dqnyoys2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mol2rpmnds2s🎙️In Episode 25 of our podcast, BiEPAG Fellow Gresa Hasa and Member of the Albanian Parliament Redi Muçi examine mass protests demanding accountability from PM Rama and opposition leader Berisha. Hosted by Florian Bieber. 🎧Tune in for a discussion on "the flamingo revolution": tinyurl.com/4ywkcnsp18 Jun 2026 14:42 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mol2rpmnds2shttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3moi6m4ta7222🗳️Vetëvendosje remains the largest party, but Kurti's gamble cost him. Turnout collapsed from 48% to 37%. Voters stayed home, signaling lost faith in a process defined by confrontation over compromise. Donika Emini examines what these results reveal about Kosovo's democracy. 🔗 tinyurl.com/3zp7cu7n17 Jun 2026 11:12 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3moi6m4ta7222https://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mofujeteqs2s🔊 The Serbian and Albanian protests use charged ethnonyms as political weapons. Yet beneath these slogans lies a shared struggle for democracy, rule of law, and environmental protection. In our BiEPAG blog, Aleksandar Pavlović contextualizes what unites these movements. 🔗 tinyurl.com/23m9uu3y16 Jun 2026 13:07 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mofujeteqs2shttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mod76jxqcs2jThe Merz-Macron proposal on gradual integration offers a European Economic Area+ model. But does it address the real challenge? EU must follow through with internal reforms and deliver predictable accession pathways. Marina Vulović and Odeta Barbullushi analyze the stakes. 🔗 tinyurl.com/7rsfnmnr15 Jun 2026 11:39 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mod76jxqcs2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mnmldwvoss23🦩 The Zvërnec mega-resort project has sparked debate over project governance, environmental protection, and decision-making transparency in Albania. Lutjona Lula examines systemic issues exposed by ongoing mass protests over Jared Kushner-linked resort in Albania. 🔗 tinyurl.com/46jdhzew06 Jun 2026 11:46 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnmldwvoss23https://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mnck5sql5c2p📢 New BiEPAG study chapter is now online ✍️ In her analysis, BiEPAG member Jelena Vasiljević examines how environmental activism has evolved into one of the most influential forms of civic mobilization in the Western Balkans. 📖 Read here ⬇️ tinyurl.com/ahawckpr02 Jun 2026 11:58 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnck5sql5c2phttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mnaaq6cja22rSerbia's Growth Plan funding hangs in balance. Only six of 34 reforms implemented by March 2026. ⚖️ The EU freezes payments over judicial independence, yet hesitates to call it. Will geopolitics trump rule of law? Read the analysis from BiEPAG Fellow Ivana Miličević. 🔗 tinyurl.com/28vyasen01 Jun 2026 14:04 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnaaq6cja22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mmyf5weorc2e⛏️ New BiEPAG study chapter "Mining in the Western Balkans: Who Really Profits?" by Biljana Jovanović, Kristijan Fidanovski, and Branimir Jovanović explores who captures the gains from the region’s growing mining sector and critical raw materials projects. 📖 Read the chapter: tinyurl.com/296j73hj29 May 2026 11:02 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmyf5weorc2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mmr6evosv227Western Balkans leaders claim EU partnership while avoiding responsibility. Bosnia and Herzegovina sits at the center of regional instability, yet Europe+ has the leverage to reset this dynamic. A bold new strategic vision is imperative. Read the full analysis by @kurtbassuener.bsky.social ⬇️26 May 2026 14:12 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmr6evosv227https://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mmoe5stn3s2y🔔 New BiEPAG blog Serbian students’ “Memorandum on Kosovo” sparked outrage at home and abroad, but its actual position is political mainstream. ✍️ Nikola Burazer argues its nationalist rhetoric is unlikely to shape the broader dynamics of the dialogue process. 📖 Read ⬇️ tinyurl.com/2m2fredz25 May 2026 11:17 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmoe5stn3s2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mmgrmtyaq22w📢 New BiEPAG study chapter ⛏️ Legal and Environmental Aspects of Mining in the Western Balkans This chapter, authored by a group of contributors, examines environmental governance, legal frameworks, and public participation in mining projects across the region. 📖 Read here ⬇️ tinyurl.com/363ek4c722 May 2026 10:57 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmgrmtyaq22whttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mm4ymovnjc2f🔔 New BiEPAG blog ✍️ Gresa Hasa 🔹 Edi Rama is Offended by Corruption Can GDP growth be used as proof that corruption is declining? Gresa Hasa argues that economic growth figures can obscure systemic governance failures, corruption risks, and state capture in Albania. 📖 Read ⬇️ tinyurl.com/48a8395618 May 2026 13:36 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm4ymovnjc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mlv7ejal7k2p🔔 This month, we will present chapters from our forthcoming BiEPAG study on mining in the Western Balkans. Florian Bieber (@fbieber.bsky.social) explores the geopolitical dimensions of mining projects and growing competition over critical raw materials in the region. 📘 Read ⬇️ tinyurl.com/y699t97815 May 2026 11:15 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlv7ejal7k2phttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mlsyasodos26🔔 New BiEPAG Podcast #24 ⛏️🏗️ Mining & Real Estate in the Balkans: Is Corrosive Capital Western now? From Jadar Valley to Vareš, this episode explores how major mining projects affect governance, public trust, and environmental justice across the Western Balkans. 🎧 Listen now ⬇️ tinyurl.com/hb2884f814 May 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlsyasodos26https://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mkks4ysqas2p🔔 New BiEPAG podcast 🎙️ Hungary after Orbán Hungary’s 12 April elections brought a landslide victory for Peter Magyar’s Tisza party, ending 16 years of Fidesz rule. What does this shift mean for the Balkans and for illiberal alliances in the region? 🎧 Listen here⬇️ https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Sst0GFKe69x6h700eS4k4?si=3469613c873c4ced28 Apr 2026 14:26 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkks4ysqas2phttps://bsky.app/profile/biepag.bsky.social/post/3mjjtpxkbgs2k🔔 New BiEPAG policy brief 🔹 Mining in the Western Balkans: How to counter authoritarian extractivism? As the EU secures critical raw materials, mining in the Western Balkans raises concerns over governance, environmental risks, and weak public participation. 📄 Read here ⬇️ tinyurl.com/mrxz77xh15 Apr 2026 11:57 +0000at://did:plc:h7alt7iwutkgmvwohnpud2qe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjjtpxkbgs2k