Although the EU enlargement process has regained momentum in recent years, its future trajectory remains uncertain. Growing geopolitical competition and Russia’s open hostility, as well as mounting security challenges and hybrid threats, have intensified calls for a more proactive and strategic role for the EU in the candidate countries of the Western Balkans and its Eastern Neighborhood. At the same time, foreign influence and malign interference by other geopolitical actors – including Russia, China, Türkiye, the Gulf Countries, and, increasingly, the United States – continues to play an important role in both regions. Examples of such activities, which are often at odds with the EU’s policy objectives, include disinformation campaigns, interference in democratic elections by offering support for ultranationalist parties, the weaponization of economic dependencies, and support for cyberattacks.
This panel discussion will examine the different approaches to hybrid threats and malign influences among several candidate countries. It will assess the unevenness of their resilience capacities and how to strengthen them through the EU enlargement process. The conversation will include space for a Q&A with the audience.
Speakers:
Valerio Trabandt, Deputy Head, Division for EU External Policies, Federal Foreign Office
Lura Pollozhani, Researcher, University of Graz; Former Advisor to the Prime Minister of North Macedonia
Milan Nic, Senior Fellow, Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, DGAP
Natalia Gavrilita, Director, Partnership for the New Economy; Former Prime Minister of Moldova (tbc)
Moderator:
Sarah Bressan, Head of Strategic Foresight, Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi)
Please register here.