TEPSA is happy to present its first policy brief of 2022 “Challenges of Enlargement in the Western Balkans”, written by Danijela Jaćimović, Professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Montenegro, Joel I. Deichmann, Professor of Economic Geography at Bentley University and Kong Tianping, Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Abstract:
Political and economic reforms in the Western Balkans have stalled recently. The reasons include diminishing interest among political elites in the region, expansion fatigue in the EU and its Member States, severe economic effects of recent crises, and the growing role of geopolitics. Actions are needed to reinvigorate democratisation and EU integration in the region. These include strategic cooperation with the EU and China, alongside improving investment climates and policies. EU-guided reforms should be harmonized and parallel across the Western Balkans.