Much like the ties with Russia, close relations with China are seen by the Serbian President as a means to pressure the West into increased involvement – a strategy that appears not without its successes.
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Irena Baboi June 19, 2020 Asia and Pacific, Europe, Latest Articles
Much like the ties with Russia, close relations with China are seen by the Serbian President as a means to pressure the West into increased involvement – a strategy that appears not without its successes.
Read More »Irena Baboi April 13, 2020 Europe, HSC in the Media, Latest Articles
The suspension of normal life across the Balkans as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak has been forcing governments to take quick action, and political elites across the region are being presented with unprecedented opportunities to show their true intentions.
Read More »Irena Baboi February 8, 2020 Europe, Global Governance and Human Rights, Latest Articles
If 2020 is to be marked by change and progress, the drive for this needs to come from within – and there will be plenty of opportunities for the international community to start paying attention to the region again.
Read More »Irena Baboi November 11, 2019 Europe, Latest Articles
On 18 October, the European Council failed to agree on starting membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. The vote showed that, when all is said and done, it is the vision of what the European Union should look like rather than its impact that matters most to some of its member states.
Read More »Irena Baboi July 22, 2019 Europe, Latest Articles, Uncategorized
In the short-term, Turkish politics are unlikely to experience radical change, as Erdoğan has created a system for himself that will not be easily pried from his grasp. In the long-term, however, the cracks in his grand design will become too numerous to handle.
Read More »Irena Baboi May 27, 2019 Asia and Pacific, Europe, Latest Articles
While the European Union worried about Russian involvement in the Western Balkans, China has been taking advantage of the last few years to quietly become one of the big players in the region.
Read More »Irena Baboi March 25, 2019 Europe, Latest Articles
Regardless of whether or not an event of Balkan Spring proportions is coming to the region, it is beyond evident that continuity is no longer an option – and that, one way or another, the present state of affairs will be coming to an end.
Read More »Irena Baboi February 7, 2019 Europe, Global Governance and Human Rights, Latest Articles
Even if the current protests fail to achieve their goals in the short-term, they are yet another signal that the status quo is unfeasible in the long-term. With European Union candidate status come Western-level demands and expectations – and the Serbian people's tolerance for a self-serving leadership has reached its limit.
Read More »Irena Baboi December 14, 2018 Europe, Latest Articles, Uncategorized
When it comes to the Western Balkan countries, the essentials from the point of view of the European Union seem to have become having a West-oriented government, and not declaring war against one of their neighbours. Every step forward is rewarded with a distant promise, and every step back is reacted to with a vague warning.
Read More »Irena Baboi October 24, 2018 Europe, Latest Articles
Bosnia's October election cast a light on all of the country's weaknesses, dysfunctions and inefficiencies. The political system seems fixed in a form that only benefits its elite, and Bosnia-Herzegovina is moving sideways rather than with a look towards the future.
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