IEŚ Commentaries | Institute of Central Europe

Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1261

Vladimir Mitev - Balkan Team

Why does everyone win from the elimination of land border controls in Southeastern Europe?

The full Schengen area accession of Bulgaria and Romania will move Southeastern Europe closer to the center of Europe. Bulgarians and Romanians deserve to have the full status of European citizens in spite of competing geopolitical visions for their region. Even if the “fortress” mindset is strong in the region, the fall of the border is a huge success for the mentality of...

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Balkan Team, Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 955

Spasimir Domaradzki | Michał Paszkowski - Balkan Team, Baltic Team

Bulgaria: technical government settlements on natural gas deal

In Bulgaria, the new government of Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov has ordered an investigation into the 2023 Bulgarian-Turkish agreement, which provides access for Bulgargaz to LNG terminals in Turkey and the Turkish transmission network. According to the government’s position, the agreement between Bulgargaz and BOTAŞ, which was concluded for a period of 13 years, is...

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Balkan Team, Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 807

Jan Muś | Michał Paszkowski | Dominik Héjj - Balkan Team, Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

Serbia-Hungary pipeline: a new chapter in energy cooperation

Serbia has been taking active steps for several months to diversify the sources and directions of crude oil supplies to the country’s only operating refinery in Panchevo. Due to sanctions imposed on Russia, the plant is currently unable to import crude oil from that country. However, the government in Belgrade is in favor of building a pipeline linking Serbia and...

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Balkan Team, Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 642

Michał Paszkowski - Balkan Team, Baltic Team

EU sanctions against Russia and potential problems with Serbia crude oil supplies

The sixth package of sanctions against Russia introduced by the European Union in connection with the attack on Ukraine will have consequences for Serbian Pančevo refinery, owned by Russian companies. Deliveries to the plant are taking place via the Adria pipeline and the Omišalj oil terminal in Croatia, and the new sanctions prevent the unloading of Russian crude oil in EU...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 456

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

EU-Western Balkans summit in Slovenia: empty gestures and the stalemate of enlargement policy

Another European Union-Western Balkans summit brought no progress in the context of the EU enlargement process. For the leaders of the Western Balkans, this is a clear signal of the lack of political support from the European Union, which could be translated into political success in the home country and in the region. A further reduction in the EU's credibility will encourage...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 417

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Serbia and Montenegro: deteriorating relations between states

With the formation of the new government in Montenegro, it was assumed that Belgrade-Podgorica relations could improve significantly. However, both the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS), which had been ruling for almost thirty years, and the unquestioned leader and president of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, warned about the dangerous “approach” of Montenegro...

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Balkan Team, Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 413

Marlena Gołębiowska - Balkan Team, Visegrad Team

Before the summit in Sofia: challenges facing the Three Seas Initiative

On July 8-9, 2021, Bulgaria will hold the sixth summit of The Three Seas Initiative (TSI). The meeting in Sofia will be an opportunity to summarize the achievements so far, but also to discuss the challenges facing the Initiative, which include, inter alia, real and potential conflicts, the slow pace of implementation of priority projects, the return of the countries of this...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 402

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Montenegro: another dispute over the Serbian Orthodox Church

The current government of Montenegro has been facing various internal tensions since its formation. Significant tensions have developed not only between the government and President Milo Đukanovic or the largest opposition grouping – the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro, but also within the government coalition. The source of the conflict is an agreement to be...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 380

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Albania after the elections: Edi Rama wins for the third time in a row

New parliamentary elections were held in Albania on April 24. The current Prime Minister and leader of the Socialist Party (PS), Edi Rama, was victorious and will remain in office and, for the first time in the history of Albanian parliamentarism, will be the Prime Minister for the third time in a row. The numerous anti-government protests organized in Albania in 2019 and...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 371

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

Slovenia: uncertain future of the Janez Janša’s government

Janez Janša's government is losing the support of the coalition parties and the parliamentary majority that would support his actions. Two attempts by the opposition to overthrow Janez Janša ended in failure. Opposition parties are unable to provide the majority needed to form a new government.

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 358

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

The debate on constitutional changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina is gaining momentum

The systemic reforms promoted by the international community in BiH aim at reaching an agreement between the leaders of the Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats. However, it ignores the most important problems faced by Bosnia and Herzegovina and its inhabitants – the ethnicization of politics with the simultaneous state capture of individual political groups. 26 years after the end of...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 352

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Albania: The Demographic Crisis and Its Consequences

Albania has been facing the problem of a significant population decline for years, caused mainly by mass emigration and demographic decline. Financial bonuses, paid by the state since 2019 at the birth of a child, did not help to change the trend. The declining population of the country will be one of the most important challenges facing the government that emerged after the April...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 336

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Montenegro: the deteriorating pandemic situation

Montenegro is struggling with a growing number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2. In order to avoid overloading the healthcare system, the country introduces further restrictions. Vaccines, which are still lacking, are the nation’s best chance to improve the situation. The inconsistency of messages from the Ministry of Health leads to an increase in dissatisfaction with the...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 334

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

2030 National Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia. Deepening integration with the EU

On February 5, 2021, the Croatian Parliament adopted the 2030 National Development Strategy for the Republic of Croatia. The strategy was adopted after many years of waiting for a document that would indicate the strategic directions of Croatia‘s development in the medium and long term. It contains only general points of reference without giving any specific solutions. Its...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 320

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

Croatia: the prospect of adopting the Euro in times of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent earthquakes

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković leads the country through a series of disasters that hit Croatia last year – the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of earthquakes in Zagreb and central Croatia. Nevertheless, the project to adopt the euro as the official currency in 2023 remains a key element of his government’s program. Expected economic difficulties may, however, force...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 319

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

North Macedonia before the April census

This year, for the first time in 19 years, a census will be conducted in North Macedonia. The last one took place in 2002, and the decision was made by the Macedonian parliament on January 21, 2021 to finally conduct it after it had been postponed several times. Consequently, the exact number of inhabitants of North Macedonia is unknown. The census continues to evoke political...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 297

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Montenegro: A new government

On December 4, 2020, the new government of Montenegro was elected, headed by Zdravko Krivokapić. For the first time in almost three decades, the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (Demokratska partija socijalista Crne Gore, DPS) – the political party the current President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović comes from – has not formed the government. The new prime...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 289

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

Deepening CEFTA integration

The Secretariat of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) announced the strengthening of cooperation between the CEFTA member states, which include the Western Balkans (WB6). Greater competitiveness and attractiveness of the region will positive affect trade with EU countries, especially with Germany and Italy, but also Russia, China, and Turkey. The declaration on the...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 279

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans

Prepared by the European Commission, the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans (WB6) aims to strengthen two parallel integration processes: firstly, harmonization of the WB6's economies with the economy of the European Union, and secondly, creating stronger regional economic and infrastructural ties. It is a continuation of the policy initiated at the Berlin Summit...

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Balkan Team

Komentarze IEŚ 198

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

Historical controversy complicates the relations of Bulgaria and North Macedonia once again (Jan Muś)

The issue of Macedonian national identity has returned to the international forum. Bulgaria’s position may complicate the process of integration of North Macedonia with the European Union and currently threatens to escalate another regional controversy based on their history. The aggravation of the returning historical conflict may also lead to a decline of political support for...

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Balkan Team

Komentarze IEŚ 190

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic in Croatia and Call for Reforms (Jan Muś)

In the context of Croatia, the consequences of COVID-19 will depend on two aspects: the length of the pandemic, and the scale of assistance from the European Union (EU). It is clear, however, that the economic aftermath will be severe. This is an obvious threat to the dominant Croatian Democratic Union under the leadership of liberal Andrej Plenković, who is serving as the prime...

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Balkan Team

Komentarze IEŚ 182

clivio - Balkan Team

Croatian-Polish cooperation for implementing the European Green Deal (Ana-Maria Boromisa)

The European Green Deal implementation requires significant investment and a profound economic and social transformation. Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary consider that the pandemic and its aftermath do not allow time for green ideas and that the economies should recover first. On the other hand, integrating the economic stimulus packages in the European Green Deal could...

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Balkan Team

Komentarze IEŚ 149

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Albania: the war with the COVID-19 pandemic (Agata Domachowska)

Since the day when the first two cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were confirmed (8th March), the Albanian government has consistently introduced subsequent restrictive measures aimed at limiting the scale at which this virus can spread in Albania. The discipline in the society is to be enforced by high fines for breaking the new rules as well as by police and military controls....

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