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Since the war in Ukraine, there has been renewed discussion about something that was almost declared dead: Enlargement. The EU wants to accept new members again, at least that's what the Commission in Brussels is signalling. But can it succeed? A union that stretches from Helsinki to Tirana, from Lisbon to Chisinau?<\/p>\n
One thing is certain: Never before in the history of the EU has there been no enlargement for so long. For almost a quarter of a century, six states in the so-called Western Balkans have been waiting for membership. A new book sheds light on their fate in the EU waiting room. Will Montenegro become the 28th member of the EU? Can a country like Serbia, where President Vu\u010di\u0107's rule is increasingly authoritarian and there are historically close ties to Russia, really be accepted? And why is tiny Albania suddenly seen as the new frontrunner?<\/p>\n
Journalist Franziska Tschinderle and journalists Krsto Lazarevi\u0107 and Danijel Maji\u0107 have been reporting from the region for years. In their book, they give voice to a variety of perspectives and analyse the central political conflicts and players. They analyse the name dispute over North Macedonia, the political blockade in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the latest corruption scandals in Albania and the mass protests in Serbia. But above all, the big question hanging over enlargement: do we have to grow again in order to become a geopolitical player? Or could we end up collapsing as a result?<\/p>\n
This and much more will be discussed at the Kreisky Forum.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Krsto Lazarevi\u0107<\/strong>, born in 1989, is a journalist. He has reported on south-east Europe for German-language media from Belgrade, Sarajevo and Vienna. He has also worked in the European Parliament and for the European press review euro|topics. Alongside Danijel Majic', he is one of the two hosts of the podcast \u201eNews from the Balla-balla-Balkans\u201c.<\/em><\/p>\n