China and CEE: 16+1 is here to stay
Cooperation between China and its 16 partner nations in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region has been a subject of strong criticism since its very inception in 2011. European Union institutions – and many of western EU member states – assumed that the real intention of Beijing was to divide and rule Europe through…
Life in Albania
When most people think of Albania, they probably think of the Liam Neeson film Taken. Hollywood and the media have done a very good job at painting this Western Balkan country as a hotbed of criminality and violence, but is that really the case?The short answer is no.Whilst the country struggles internally with organised crime…
Erste sees North Macedonia reaping name dispute dividend
With North Macedonia’s almost three decade-long dispute with Greece over the country’s name now over, the country can expect a period of accelerated growth in the medium-term, driven by an end to political uncertainty, consumption, and renewed investment activity, according to a new report from Erste Bank.The bank expects GDP growth of 2.9 per cent…
Fifteen years of Poland thriving in the EU
Of the 10 countries that joined the European Union 15 years ago, Poland is definitely an EU success story: it has become more outward-looking and confident as well as being socially and economically transformed. That is why 91 per cent of Poles support Poland’s membership of the EU.The 2004 European Union enlargement, which allowed Poland…
EU enlargement commissioner praises North Macedonia
European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn has suggested that North Macedonia might soon assume Serbia’s position as the leading candidate country for EU membership.“In the European Commission’s strategy for the Western Balkans, we have clearly stated that we will accept new members only if they do not have bilateral conflicts. We are…
Frontex deploys border guards to Albania to halt illegal migration
Deutsche Welle has reported that Albanian police will patrol “shoulder to shoulder” with border guards from across the EU on the country’s frontier with Greece.It will be the first-ever joint operation on the territory of a neighboring non-European Union country for Frontex, which is the EU agency in charge of border protection and immigration. Led by an Albanian team…
Thirty Fifteen
For many of the countries of emerging Europe, 2019 offers double cause for celebration: 30 years since the end of communism in 1989 and 15 years since EU membership in 2004. For all concerned, EU enlargement has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. Why then, is anti-EU sentiment in Central and Eastern Europe increasingly strong?Two subjects…
South Ossetia to play Western Armenia in final of CONIFA’s European Football Cup
While English football teams Arsenal and Chelsea both complained vehemently last month at being forced to play their Europa League final in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, eight other teams have been only too happy to spend this week in a remote corner of Azerbaijan playing in the CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup, currently being held…
EU delays decision on Albania, North Macedonia accession talks
Albania and North Macedonia will have to wait until October to find out if they can begin accession talks with the European Union.The European Commission said in May that both countries had made the necessary progress on democratic standards and the rule of law to begin accession talks. Some of the EU’s member countries however,…
Serbia’s increasing importance for China’s BRI
Historically, China has never been an important partner of the CEE region. Trade and FDI data show that the EU, especially Germany, plays the dominant role. This holds true for Serbia as well. However, the economic and geopolitical rise of China, the deterioration of political relations between individual member states and the EU and political…