The balkans: Old, new instabilities a european region looking for its place in the world
Autor
Fruscione, Giorgio
Magri, Paolo
Institución
Resumen
For the Western Balkans, 2019 was the year of inconclusiveness.
It was the umpteenth year without progress in the dialogue
between Serbia and Kosovo, one more year of delay in the EU
accession process for Albania and North Macedonia, and a year
of renewed uncertainty for Bosnia-Herzegovina, a country that
remained without a government until December.
Western Balkan countries entered 2020 with slim hopes, and
the novel coronavirus outbreak seemed to have dashed them
altogether. It would have been the perfect scapegoat for putting
many processes almost indefinitely on hold. Yet, paradoxically,
this year and the next might prove crucial for the future of
the region. Dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo is restarting.
On March 24, during a meeting held by teleconference,
the EU agreed to open negotiation talks with Albania and
North Macedonia. And Bosnia-Herzegovina finally has an
official government. Interestingly enough, the outbreak of the
novel coronavirus has pushed the whole of Europe towards
unexpected togetherness, stimulating cross-border solidarity
involving Western Balkan countries as well.