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ECFR experts discuss the Balkans in Vienna

Balkan experts got together over the weekend to discussion the EU's engagement in the Balkans. There was an impressive crowd, with ECFR Council Members and top officials travelling to Vienna for the occasion. The event was kicked off on Saturday evening when - over a dinner hosted by Albert Rohan - ECFR staff, Council Members, EU envoys to the region and high-level officials from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared their views.

A further in-depth debate on the EU's strategy towards the Balkans followed on Sunday. This internal ECFR brainstorming session, hosted by ECFR Council Member Ivan Krastev, attracted a number of our Members including the Swedish and Slovakian Foreign Ministers.

The event highlighted a growing concern for a weakening and divided EU commitment to the region, something which is partly reflected in the stalled accession process, the increasing influence of Russia and Turkey in Balkan countries and worrying trends in the behaviour of Balkan leaders. ECFR Senior Policy Fellow Daniel Korski and Head of ECFR's Sofia office Vessela Tcherneva are now drafting a policy brief with Council Members Heather Grabbe and Gerald Knaus.