BELGRADE – The Berlin Process, the NATO-Serbia partnership contributing to the security of the Western Balkans and whether the Western Balkans ever become part of the EU were some of the topics discussed today at the Security Forum of Belgrade.
The second day was opened with the welcome speech of Sonja Licht, President of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence, who explained that migration represents a great challenge and that society must build a common future for all.
The first panel of the day began with the theme “Berlin to Belgrade Process», an event organized in partnership with the European Fund for the Balkans.
The intention behind the Berlin Process was to accelerate the integration process of the Western Balkans eleven years after the Thessaloniki Summit, during which the European perspective was offered to the region for the first time.
“The idea was first to economically connect the countries of the region, hoping that after this achievement, all other problems will slowly be resolved,” said Tim Judah of The Economist.
The event was attended by two foreign ministers from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ivica Dačić and Igor Crnadak respectively.
Dačić affirmed that the Berlin process is a useful initiative, which encourages important countries to reflect, at least once a year, on the Balkan region and the prospects for EU enlargement.
“Positive results were achieved mainly in economic relations, for which there are many examples,” Dačić said. However, he noted that the EU turns a blind eye to some undemocratic developments in EU member states and applies somewhat double standards in its relations with other states.
Crnadak recalled that more than 20 years after the war, everyone expected political stability.
“We are all different, our positions are divergent, but we are all on the same path, on the European path. It is therefore in our common interest to cooperate so that people feel the benefits on a daily basis.”
He also spoke of “stabilocracy” as a damaging policy.
For the representative of the German Foreign Ministry, Christian Hellbach, the Berlin process represents an opportunity for countries in the region to take a big step forward.
Christian Danielsson, director general of the EU’s neighborhood policy and enlargement negotiations, took a different stance when speaking about the economic side of the process.
He said there was great potential for development and progress in the region. According to him, the entire region could become more attractive, which would enable its progress and competitiveness.
“The Berlin process should also foster ties between countries, foster the rule of law, the common fight against organized crime and generally address important issues,” he concluded.
Hedvig Morvai, executive director of European Find for Balkans, said that after four meetings, structural changes were needed for the process to really bring benefits to people and revive their trust.
“We need to energize the minds of political leaders so that we can energize the minds of citizens. We do not have the luxury of making excuses that there is a decline in support. We need to change, communicate and continue the dialogue,” Morvai said.
Later, the special event was organized in partnership with NATO, „NATO-Serbia partnership contributes to the security of the Western Balkans“.
Ana Brnabic, Prime Minister of Serbia, said that Serbia is an exporter of regional stability but also a very active participant in peacekeeping missions.
“Serbia is the first country in the region and the seventh in Europe in terms of UN and EU peacekeeping missions,” Brnabić said.
She stressed that Serbia maintains excellent cooperation with NATO.
Rose Gottemoeller, NATO Deputy Secretary General, agreed, adding that many aspects of NATO’s cooperation with Serbia have contributed to strengthening regional stability.
On a second panel „Challenging inequalities: ways forward“, the speakers concluded that we must strengthen nation states to be more effective, more transparent and with better rule of law.
However, there is no consensus on what should be done to reduce growing inequality.
“The inequalities we see are creating a different kind of crisis. We need a new framework between nations,” said Jack Goldstone, professor of public policy at George Mason University.
Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou agreed, adding that we need to strengthen nation states to be more efficient, transparent and with better rule of law.
“With the rise of violent extremism inspired by radical interpretations of Islam, there is also a tendency and risk of blaming organized religion. This would play precisely into the hands of those who incite violence,” the third session concluded.Models of perception and (mis)understanding: religion and security“.
The participant said that religious differences are therefore often used as a scapegoat to explain the often more complex factors leading to conflict.
“Women could play a more specific role in overcoming the difficulties of the region, but it is necessary to work on their empowerment, their voice and their position,” was the message of the panel.Balkan women for a new politics» which was organized in partnership with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Serbia.
On the next panel „What if the Western Balkans were never part of the EU?“, participants discussed numerous internal and external crises (or “poly-crises” as some describe them) in the EU, which could influence the enlargement process.
Growing Euroscepticism, democratic backsliding, authoritarian tendencies and the rise of populism (or outright nationalism) in the Balkans could all be attributed, in large part, to the EU’s vague plan for this region.
“There are multiple scenarios according to which Serbia will never join the EU. On the other hand, it is possible that the EU will cease to exist,” said Miloš Đinđić from the European Policy Center in Belgrade.
In plenary session „Democracy in retreat: more populism as the new norm?” which was organized in partnership with the Open Society Foundations, participants discussed the rise of right-wing political parties across Europe, but also left-wing movements such as Syriza and Podemos, which have generated unnecessary interest in the theme of populism, which reached its peak with Trump’s victory in November last year.
“Some of their Balkan counterparts are not far behind when it comes to autocratic tendencies, while unfortunately the EU often seems to turn a blind eye to such developments,” the session concluded.
Next session „Change paradigm? Contemporary interventionism and proxy wars» discussed post-Cold War interventionism and proxy conflicts taking place in Syria and Yemen.
One of the parallel sessions named „Soft power revisited: alternative facts for a post-truth reality» discussed the post-factual or post-truth era and the fight against the use of so-called alternative facts.
“We live in a world where it is difficult to say that people make decisions based on their rationality. Today, politics is not only about debates but also about selling and buying,” said Dejan Jović, professor of international relations at the Faculty of Political Sciences of Moscow University. University of Zagreb.
“Today, changes in media, political culture and economics have led to widespread questioning of the legitimacy of traditional political elites,” concluded Cameron Munter, president and CEO of EastWest Institute (EWI) in New York.
Side event „The Western Balkans in a pro-Brexit EU» was organized by the International Center for European Studies (CIFE), the Austro-French Center for Rallying Europe (CFA) and the Institute of International Affairs (IAI).
Ardian Hackaj, Director of Shteti Web, Institute of Cooperation and Development (CDI), discussed the financial ramifications of Brexit, highlighting rival investors in the Balkans, such as China, Azerbaijan and Russia, who may be willing to embark on connectivity and infrastructure projects if there is an initiative European depressed.
Eléonora Poli, Researcher, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), Rome, responded by emphasizing Italy’s investment in increasing connectivity with the Western Balkans, addressing migration issues and fostering economic development. She expressed serious doubts about the message sent by hosting the upcoming Berlin Process conference in London, saying an enlargement program could not be properly addressed in a country currently negotiating its exit from the EU.
Milan Nič, The senior fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) expressed some optimism about the Berlin process, crediting European leaders willing to devote their political capital to advancing enlargement and promoting inter-Balkan solidarity.
“Despite Brexit, Britain will likely continue to play a key role in European security and foreign policy, in an issue directly linked to the Western Balkans,” Nič said.
Adam Fagan, The professor of European politics at Queen Mary University of London said that while he deplores Brexit itself, he sees good reason to continue the Berlin Process conference in London, hoping that it will send a message about continued UK investment in Europe.
Florent Marciacq, Researcher and program director, Franco-Austrian Center for rapprochement in Europe (CFA), Vienna, claimed that at first he was skeptical of the Berlin process because it introduced more intergovernmentalism into EU politics, making it easier to fragment, but he also declared his optimism after witnessed the achievements of the last three years.
