The Atlantic Council Europe Center‘s #BalkansDebrief series features timely conversations on key issues impacting the Western Balkans.

Nonresident senior fellow Ilva Tare hosts newsmakers, experts, and officials for discussions on rule of law, energy security, cultural heritage, Russian and Chinese influence in the region, and more.

Watch #BalkansDebrief on YouTube and listen to it as a Podcast.

#BalkansDebrief Episodes

Balkans Debrief

Apr 26, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – Anti-Roma Sentiment in the Western Balkans | A Debrief with Sonja Licht and Zeljko Jovanovic

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare discusses the current challenges and potential changes for Roma communities in the Western Balkans with Sonja Licht, the President of Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society in Belgrade and Zeljko Jovanovic, the Director of Roma Initiatives Office for the Open Societies Foundation in Berlin. 

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Apr 11, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – What’s next after Bulgarian elections? | A Debrief with Dimitar Bechev

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Dimitar Bechev, Lecturer at Oxford School of Global and Area Studies on implications of another caretaker government for Bulgaria’s economic and European outlooks.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Mar 17, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – What challenges faces the Kosovo/Serbia agreement | Debrief with Jovana Radosavljevic and Visar Ymeri 

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Jovana Radosavljevic, Executive Director of the New Social Initiative, and Visar Ymeri, Executive Director of the Institute for Social Policy “Musine Kokalari,” to discuss the challenges of implementing a proposed agreement for normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia and the expectations for the upcoming Ohrid Summit on March 19.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Mar 3, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – Is a deal on normalization between Kosovo & Serbia possible? | A debrief with Miroslav Lajčák 

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, on this episode of #BalkansDebrief about the latest meeting in Brussels, details of the EU brokered plan, implementation of any future agreement, and the path forward.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Feb 22, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – What is the future for Kosovo Serbs in the north? | A Debrief with Tatjana Lazarevic 

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Tatjana Lazarevic, the Editor-in-Chief of the KoSSev news portal and a resident of the Kosovo Serb-majority city of Mitrovica in the north of Kosovo.

The Balkans
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MEET THE #BALKANSDEBRIEF HOST

Fellow

Ilva Tare

Resident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Albanian English

The Europe Center promotes leadership, strategies, and analysis to ensure a strong, ambitious, and forward-looking transatlantic relationship.

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Content

Balkans Debrief

Jul 30, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – Does the new EU-Serbia lithium deal undermine democracy? A Debrief with Ivan Vejvoda

To discusss the EU's new lithium deal with Serbia, Ivan Vejvoda from the Institute for Human Sciences sits down with Ilva Tare, Nonresident Senior Fellow, for this episode of #BalkansDebrief.

European Union
Geopolitics & Energy Security

Balkans Debrief

Jul 24, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – What EU reforms will make enlargement successful? A Debrief with Enrico Letta

Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, speaks with Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare in this #BalkansDebrief about EU Single Market reform and enlargement in the Western Balkans.

European Union
International Organizations

Balkans Debrief

Jul 3, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – Where next for Serbian foreign policy? | A Debrief with Igor Bandovic and Nikola Burazer

In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Igor Bandovic and Nikola Burazer about Serbia's current foreign policy and security challenges.

Civil Society
Europe & Eurasia

Balkans Debrief

Jun 26, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – Do Balkan nationalist chants at EURO 2024 fuel ethnic tensions? | A Debrief with Florian Bieber

In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Florian Bieber about flaring Balkan ethnic tensions and politics in the UEFA Euro Cup 2024.

European Union
Nationalism

Balkans Debrief

May 28, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – Why is distrust in institutions alarming for the Balkans? | A debrief with Amila Karačić

In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare sits down with Amila Karacic of the International Republican Institute (IRI) in Bosnia & Herzegovina to discuss IRI's recent polling trends in the Western Balkans.

European Union
Nationalism

Balkans Debrief

May 20, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – What is the US role amidst fragility in the Western Balkans? | A debrief with Gabriel Escobar

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Gabriel Escobar, outgoing US Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Representative for the Western Balkans, about US foreign policy in the region and its future amidst current challenges.

Corruption
European Union

Balkans Debrief

May 1, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – Why do North Macedonia’s elections matter for its EU future? | A debrief with Aleksej Demjanski

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare is joined in this episode of #BalkansDebrief by Aleksej Demjanski to discuss North Macedonia's 2024 parliamentary elections and implications for EU integration.

Elections
European Union

Balkans Debrief

Apr 15, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – Why is France refocused on security in the Balkans? | A debrief with Alexandre Vulic

In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Europe Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare welcomes Alexandre Vulic. They discuss France's security concerns for the Western Balkans.

Cybersecurity
Disinformation

Balkans Debrief

Mar 29, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – Why is the UK focused on reconciliation in the Balkans? | A debrief with Lord Stuart Peach

In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Europe Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare welcomes Lord Stuart Peach. Together, they discuss the UK perspective on reconciliation in the Balkans.

Europe & Eurasia
Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

Balkans Debrief

Mar 20, 2024

#BalkansDebrief – Why are elections in North Macedonia critical for its EU path? | A debrief with Marko Troshanovski

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare sits down will Marko Troshanovski, President of the Institute for Democracy, to discuss the importance of the elections and the key issues debated by the main two opposing political camps.

Corruption
Elections
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