The future of 20 million people in the six Western Balkans States. A key question for Europe’s geopolitical future

The European Union has an obvious interest in the wealth and stability of the six […]

15/03/2018

The European Union has an obvious interest in the wealth and stability of the six Western Balkan states. Yet, the situation in these countries is growing into a threat for the EU. In this paper, the author will assess the reasons why the WB6 are crucial for Europe, the state of negotiations and obstacles to accession, as well as the reasons why the EUs traditionally bureaucraticpaternalistic approach to this region cannot be successful.

Read the study

Find all related publications
Publications
28/11/2025

Smarter spending today, safer societies tomorrow

Digitally-enabled capabilities for European defence
28/11/2025

More money, more dependence?

Financing European Union defence for autonomy and cooperation
28/11/2025

ReArm Europe

The impact and role of EU arms export controls
14/11/2025

Beyond Rhetoric: Crafting a Win-Win EU-Africa Partnership

Strategic Recommendations from the EU-Africa Progressive Network
Find all related Progressive Post
Progressive Post
21/11/2025

Palestine: in pursuit of a just and inclusive peace

The twenty-point plan, initially proposed by the Trump administration in September and subsequently endorsed at […]
12/11/2025

How Progressives win when democracy is on the line

Across democracies, the threat to liberal institutions no longer comes from the margins. It sits […]
31/10/2025

The Global Gateway in context

Europe's dual ambitions to align geostrategy and development
Find all related events
Events
Past
20 - 22/11/2025
Belgrade, Serbia

How the new EU budget will shape a wider Union

Friends of the Western Balkans Conference
15/11/2025
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Africa Day 2025

FEPS fringe sessions
08/11/2025
Santa Marta, Colombia

EU-LAC dialogue on Just Transition and trade

Despite the EU’s growing emphasis on sustainability, its trade and investment policies remain largely disconnected […]
Load more...
Find all related Audiovisual
Audiovisual
15/11/2025

‘Africa Day 2025’ Flickr album

Photo album of the ‘Africa Day 2025‘ event in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Africa Day has been […]
17/10/2025

‘S&D Latin America Days FEPS fringe session’ Flickr album

The S&D Latin America Days aim to foster cooperation between progressive forces in Latin America and […]
16/09/2025

The Long Roads to PEACE: Europe, Ukraine, and Global Diplomacy — with Stephen Bronner

📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast Prof. Stephen Bronner has been leading an […]
16/09/2025

The long roads to PEACE: Europe, Ukraine, and global diplomacy – with Stephen Bronner

Prof. Stephen Bronner has been leading an international network of scholars and experts to study […]
Find all related news
News
27/11/2025

FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues at the T20 South Africa Summit in Johannesburg

Organised by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the Institute for Global Dialogue […]
21/10/2025

Maria João Rodrigues at PES Congress 2025

🇳🇱 🌹 FEPS attended the Party of European Socialists (PES) Congress in Amsterdam, which included […]
18/10/2025

FEPS at PES Congress 2025

🇳🇱 🌹Within PES Congress, there were full rooms on insightful discussion on a range of […]
16/05/2025

Joint statement by the Friends of the Western Balkans (FoWB)

Ljubljana, 16th May 2025 We, the Friends of the Western Balkans (FoWB) – representatives of […]
Find all related in the media
In the media

‘Bruselas, ¿te Quiero?’ Tras un verano cruel, Von der Leyen pide a Europa que “luche”

by Euronews 16/09/2025
After a harsh summer, Von der Leyen calls on Europe to ‘fight’” Episode of Euronews’ Brussels, my Love? featuring Beatriz Abellán, FEPS Policy Analyst on International Relations, discussing Von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech, the EU’s trade deal with the United States, and the future of multilateralism. She also stresses that the EU’s credibility is at stake due to its delayed response to the genocide in Palestine.

Evropske socijaldemokrate traže od institucija Unije da razmotre pojedinačne sankcije protiv onih koji krše ljudska prava u Srbiji

by nova.rs 21/05/2025
The Friends of the Western Balkans 7th meeting and political statement on the Serbian student protests is discussed in this article.

Tévedés azt hinni, hogy Trump után visszatérhetünk a régi kerékvágásba

by telex 24/04/2025
“It’s a mistake to think we can go back to the old normal after Trump”. Interview with FEPS Secretary General László Andor in Telex (HU), where he discusses the global trade tensions triggered by Trump-era tariffs, the shifting US-China dynamic, and the need for the EU to develop a new strategic approach in a permanently changed world order.

СТРАТЕГИЯТА ЗА ОТБРАНА НА ЕВРОПА ТРЯБВА ДА БЪДЕ ОРИЕНТИРАНА КЪМ МИРА

by Novi Vremena 27/03/2025
In the article "Europe’s defence strategy must be peace-oriented", the Bulgarian media Novi Vremena highlights FEPS position on European defence strategy presented by László Andor, David Rinaldi and Beatriz Abellán.