Western Balkans

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, President of Albania Ilir Meta, President of Croatia Zoran Milanovic, Serb member of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Milorad Dodik, President of Slovenia Borut Pahor, Bosniak member of Presidency of Bosnia and Hercegovina Sefik Dzaferovic, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski and Presidend of Montenegro Milo Dukoanovic pose for pictures at a park during the Brdo-Brijuni Process meeting in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, on May 17, 2021.

US Leadership Matters to Avoid New Violence in the Balkans

It's time for Washington to recognize the role of Serb nationalism in fomenting renewed tensions across the region.

Nov. 3, 2021 Ismael Ćidić, Ambassador Vesko Garčević and 1 more

US government's special envoy for Western Balkans Matthew Palmer poses with members of Bosnia and Herzegovina's tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik, Zeljko Komsic, and Sefik Dzaferovic in Sarajevo on July 5, 2021 as Palmer held several meetings with national political leaders in Bosnia as well as state officials.

Peace Is Threatened Again in Bosnia, A Quarter Century after Dayton

Separatist provocations pose the greatest danger to the country's peace and cohesion since the accords were forged 26 years ago.

Oct. 22, 2021 Kurt Bassuener and Senada Šelo Šabić

A protester holds a placard reading "Parasites! Your Host Is Dying!" during a demonstration in front of the Bosnian government building in the centre of Sarajevo, on April 6, 2021.

Human Rights Plaintiff: US-EU Election Plan for Bosnia Rewards Nationalist Agendas

A politically expedient "fix" would sideline citizens, including those who fought to open the system via the European Court of Human Rights.

Oct. 5, 2021 Azra Zornić

Two side by side photographs. The first shows China's President Xi Jinping shaking hands with Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman. The second shows Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and China’s President Xi Jinping walking side by side. Both images have the corresponding country flags lined in a row behind them.

The Noxious Nexus of Money and Politics Takes Another Turn in Central and Southeastern Europe

A Forbes-listed billionaire’s China-fueled deals illustrate the potential security threats of media and telecom capture by authoritarians.

Mar. 18, 2021 Richard Kraemer and Albin Sybera

office, Dragan Covic, addresses the media after voting, in Mostar, on October 7, 2018, as Bosnia and Herzegovina holds it's general elections.

Is the US Doubling Down on Division in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

A dangerously misguided policy embracing a nefarious election gambit threatens Joe Biden's otherwise proud legacy dating to the 1990s war.

Mar. 15, 2021 Kurt Bassuener and Valery Perry

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before the meeting at the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China on April 25, 2019. Country flags are lined behind them.

Serbia’s Delicate Dance with the EU and China

While European Union membership would be beneficial to Serbia as a whole, it may not serve the interests of the country’s ruling elites.

Dec. 22, 2020 Leon Hartwell and Stefan Vladisavljev

Sticker messages placed on a fence by Thai student demonstrators are seen during a Milk Tea Alliance pro-democracy protest outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok on October 1, 2020. Some of the sticky-notes read, “Mulan Live is Not Mulan,” “Save Tzuyu!” “Respect Basic Human Rights,” and more.

As China Promotes Authoritarian Model, the Resilience of Its Democratic Targets is Key

Pro-democracy political leaders, activists, and media can build on their successes against such influence with help from the world’s leading democracies.

Dec. 18, 2020 Caitlin Dearing Scott and Adam George

A city street in the Southern-Bosnian town of Mostar is busy with cars and is lined by a war-damaged business building on one side and a reconstructed city gymnasium school on the other side. Across from both buildings on the side closest to the photographer is a tree with lights.

The Bosnian Constitution, Marking 25 Years, Needs an American Reboot

The US has a historic opportunity to return to the country of its greatest post-Cold War triumph and mark its own homecoming to the international community.

Dec. 14, 2020 Jasmin Mujanović

A billboard shows Chinese President Xi Jinping next to the National Assembly building in Belgrade on March 30, 2020, as Serbia has introduced curfew from 5 pm to 5 am (from 3 pm to 5 am on weekends) for entire population except those authorised and night shift workers.

Beware a China-Russia Nexus in Central Europe Amid US-EU Neglect

A transatlantic response must document the threat, make it a priority, and convey that observing international law and established norms is non-negotiable.

Jun. 17, 2020 Jakub Janda and Richard Kraemer

US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell (C), the Presidents of Kosovo Hashim Thaci (L background) and Serbia Aleksandar Vucic (R background) watch the signing of an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia for railway and street projects.

US Burns Credibility in Grenell Quest for Foreign Policy Win, as Kosovo Government Falls

Amid COVID19 crisis, Special Envoy Richard Grenell's pressure on Kosovo precipitates collapse of popular and promising reformist government.

Apr. 2, 2020 Kurt Bassuener and Bodo Weber

Prime minister of People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang, speaks during his visit to the construction site of the bridge connecting the Croatian peninsula of Peljesac with the rest of the coast and Croatia mainland on April 11, 2019.

As Russia and China Seek a Beachhead in the Western Balkans, a U.S.-U.K. Push Could Avert an Authoritarian Turn

Genuinely sustainable progress in the Western Balkans turns on jobs, equitably distributed revenue, and the physical security that undergirds effective governance.

Feb. 11, 2020 Reuf Bajrović and Richard Kraemer

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, in Belgrade on January 17, 2019.

Serb ‘Auxiliary Force’ Escalates Threats to Bosnia’s Stability

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik risks plunging Bosnia, and with it the volatile Western Balkans, into the region’s worst security crisis since the end of the Yugoslav Wars.

Apr. 22, 2019 Jasmin Mujanović