The US under current management is a critical threat to Europe+ democracies — the UK, Norway, Canada, as well as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. This weekend’s Munich Security Conference is the place to start planning counter-measures.
The EU choosing “stability” in the current moment means de facto endorsement of violent repression in Serbia. The EU’s timid messaging has in fact encouraged Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić to step up his repression. He unleashed violent thugs on the protesters and launched a relentless media campaign denouncing the students as “terrorists” paid by Serbia’s enemies.
The policy posture from Brussels remains on autopilot, effectively siding with Serbia’s authoritarian president Aleksandar Vučić against the student-led protesters, while continuing ‘happy talk’ about the enlargement process.
The Office of the High Representative, tasked with coordinating international actors and ensuring implementation of the non-military components of the 1995 Dayton peace accords, has languished for a decade and a half.
Despite the façade of democracy, the impunity of political and economic power makes corruption the point of politics in Bosnia, as in Lebanon.
The European Commission just missed an opportunity on managing EU enlargement. Instead of taking a hard look at why it’s currently failing, the commission tried to appease the most vocal opponent of enlargement – France – with largely cosmetic changes.
Paris is, by default, now steering the EU’s overall policy agenda toward the Western Balkans. This seems to be the opening volley and test bed for Macron’s goal of recalibrating the entire EU agenda.
By blocking accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, French president Emmanuel Macron is siding with illiberals.