Rule of law reforms, authoritarianism, and nationalism in the Western Balkans

EU auditors released a report on Monday that pointed out how the EU has been unsuccessful in its efforts to promote rule-of-law reforms in the Western Balkans.

The bloc has spent about €700 million between 2014 and 2020 to help Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo make progress on reforms, and many EU governments see establishing high democratic standards in the region as important for the bloc’s own stability and security, particularly as these countries aspire to join the EU.

Professor Florian Bieber, an expert on the Balkans, joins The Greek Current to break down the key takeaways from this report. We also discuss his latest piece in Foreign Policy, which looks at the nationalist and authoritarian turn Serbia has taken under President Vucic and why this matters for the Western Balkans. 

Professor Florian Bieber is a Professor of Southeast European History and Politics and Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz, Austria. He is also a coordinator at The Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group.