IN THIS EPISODE
The transatlantic relationship is being reset and Europe is scrambling to keep up. The agenda is no longer set in Brussels. It is set in the White House, shaped by the Trump administration and driven by events from Ukraine to the Middle East. Who controls the agenda now? And what does this mean for the Western Balkans? In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Ilva Tare, Resident Senior Fellow at the Europe Center, sits down with Dimitris Tsarouhas, Professor at Georgetown University and Washington DC Representative of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), for a frank and far-reaching conversation on one of the most consequential shifts in global politics.
Professor Tsarouhas argues that Europe has failed to do its geopolitical homework. The dream of strategic autonomy has collided with reality. A new global security architecture is taking shape, one in which the role of the United States will be smaller, old assumptions about Russia are being questioned, and Europe must urgently boost its own defense capabilities or risk becoming a spectator in a world it once helped shape.
And at the heart of Europe, literally, there is a gap. The Western Balkans remain outside the EU family, trapped in a waiting room with no clear exit. Young people are leaving. Trust is eroding. Professor Tsarouhas is unambiguous: the process must be transparent and meritocratic, and if countries in the region are doing the work, Europe has no excuse to keep them waiting. The goal must be full EU membership, nothing less.
ABOUT #BALKANSDEBRIEF
#BalkansDebrief is an online interview series presented by the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and hosted by journalist Ilva Tare. The program offers a fresh look at the Western Balkans and examines the region’s people, culture, challenges, and opportunities.
Watch #BalkansDebrief on YouTube and listen to it as a Podcast.
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The Europe Center promotes leadership, strategies, and analysis to ensure a strong, ambitious, and forward-looking transatlantic relationship.