Wouter Zweers

🔴Watch our livestream Friday marking 30 years of the Dayton Peace Agreement, with @wouterzweers.bsky.social and guests. Co-organised with @hcss.bsky.social and the BiH-NL Thinktank. What are the complex challenges for Bosnia and Herzegovina?

ℹ️Details and stream: www.clingendael.org/event/dayton...

He engaged in a conversation with Clingendael researcher Wouter Zweers and an audience that included students, journalists, policymakers, and researchers. They discussed topics such as Albania’s EU candidate status, the country’s role in NATO, organised crime, and migration.

Clingendael director Monika Sie welcomed Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama today.

Do the Dutch election outcomes affect the Netherlands position on EU Enlargement? - PubAffairs Bruxelles EU policies, including enlargement, received scant attention in the run-up to the October 29 elections in the Netherlands. Yet, the next Dutch government might be a key factor in Montenegro’s and Alba...

[Analysis] #EUEnlargment & #EUPolitics: Do the #Dutch #election outcomes affect the #Netherlands position on #EU Enlargement? by @wouterzweers.bsky.social | @clingendael.bsky.social
www.pubaffairsbruxelles.eu/opinion-anal...

🔔BiEPAG member Frauke M. Seebass and @wouterzweers.bsky.social on the recent elections in Netherlands

🔶Do the Dutch election outcomes affect the #Netherlands position on #EUEnlargement?

🔎 possible coalitions, as well as the public perceptions and attitudes👇

🔗 www.biepag.eu/blog/do-the-...

Unblocking decision-making in EU enlargement The EU enlargement process has been bogged down for at least the past decade. While the new geopolitical landscape and urgency created following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought EU enlargement...

Renewed discussion in Brussels on majority decision-making in EU enlargement after a proposal by European Council President António Costa. A report written in 2024 by, among others, @wouterzweers.bsky.social on perceived risks and feasibility.

www.clingendael.org/publication/...

Gaat Moldavië richting Rusland of de EU? Kandidaat-EU-lid Moldavië houdt dit weekend parlementsverkiezingen. Daarbij staan Moldaviërs voor de keuze tussen een pro-Europese, of een pro-Russische koers. Volgens president Maia Sandu zou Rusland...

''Moldavië maakt deel uit van de regio waar Rusland vindt dat het de meeste invloed zou moeten hebben en waar de EU en de NAVO zich niet mee zouden moeten bemoeien", zegt @wouterzweers.bsky.social in aanloop naar de parlementsverkiezingen in Moldavië.

www.nporadio1.nl/fragmenten/b...

Explore an interactive geopolitical map of the Western Balkans, highlighting relationships with key regional and global powers, like the EU, China and Russia. A complex web of positive and tense relations.🕸️

🔎Map and report by @wouterzweers.bsky.social:
www.clingendael.org/publication/...

Overcoming Inertia in Kosovo Kosovo continues to face significant obstacles on its path to EU membership. To move forward, Prishtina must revive its dialogue with Belgrade, while the union should provide a clear road map for easi...

Kosovo faces hurdles on its EU path.

To move forward, Prishtina must revive its dialogue with Belgrade, write @dimitarbechev.bsky.social, @ilirianagjoni.bsky.social, Lukáš Macek, @milanninberlin.bsky.social, @nikoxw.bsky.social, and @wouterzweers.bsky.social.

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

@politico.eu takes note of the latest Kosovo paper written by @wouterzweers.bsky.social, among others. “Although Kosovo’s caretaker government seems to be in denial, the country has an EU problem on its hands.''

Read the advice by Wouter and his co-researchers: carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

We concluded that inertia in Kosovo’s domestic politics, the Belgrade-Prishtina dialogue, and the EU’s policy spell out long-term risks for Kosovo's and thereby, European stability. See the paper for our recommendations!

I teamed up with Dimitar Bechev and Iliriana Gjoni (Carnegie Europe), Milan Nic and Nikola Xaviereff-Weckwerth (DGAP) and Lukáš Macek (Jacques Delors Institute) for this study, based on a research trip to Kosovo in March organised by Democracy for Development.

Overcoming Inertia in Kosovo Kosovo continues to face significant obstacles on its path to EU membership. To move forward, Prishtina must revive its dialogue with Belgrade, while the union should provide a clear road map for easi...

New paper on #Kosovo's political dynamics, EU integration path and stalled dialogue with Serbia is out now with #CarnegieEurope!

Link: carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

@clingendael.bsky.social

Verkiezingsuitslag Albanië laat op zich wachten, pro-Europese premier Rama stevent af op winst Verkiezingen Albanië: Het bekendmaken van de uitslag duurt langer dan gebruikelijk, maar de Albanese premier Edi Rama lijkt af te stevenen op een vierde termijn. In eigen land heerst hij met harde han...

Verkiezingsuitslag #Albanië laat op zich wachten, pro-Europese premier Rama stevent af op winst

www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/... in @nrc.nl

No words...

Beyond the policy work, Kyiv itself left a deep impression. A city proud, resilient, and full of life — even amid daily air raid alerts and ongoing war. It was both humbling and inspiring.

One thing is clear: Ukraine will not wait passively. The drive to move forward — and the ownership of the process — was tangible at every level.

We did so amongst others through a negotiation simulation, diving into real-life political challenges that can arise beyond formal EU criteria. What happens when key reforms become politically contentious?

Over two packed days, we provided about 30 participants from across Ukrainian ministries and regulatory bodies with practical tools and insights to navigate and steer the complex EU accession process — not just technically, but also politically. Because accession is never only about ticking boxes.

The training was part of Ukraine’s EU accession journey, with this edition focused on Negotiation Cluster 2: the EU Internal Market. It is a core part of the EU acquis and one of the most complex and transformative areas for Ukraine’s economy.

I am back from an incredibly rewarding week in #Kyiv, where I had the privilege of delivering intensive training to Ukrainian civil servants — alongside my fantastic @clingendael.bsky.social colleagues @jsoldatiuk.bsky.social and Max Eleveld

Tussen deals en dreiging: Beschermingsopdracht Oekraïense ontheemden Drie jaar na de start van de grootschalige Russische invasie van Oekraïne is het einde van de oorlog nog steeds onzeker en volgen de gebeurtenissen elkaar in sneltreinvaart op.

New @clingendael.bsky.social report out on the situation in Ukraine and the consequences for refugees in the Netherlands and other EU member states: 'Between Deals and Threats'. Read it here (NL):
www.clingendael.org/publication/...

EenVandaag EenVandaag is het nieuws- en actualiteitenprogramma van AVROTROS op NPO 1 en NPO Radio 1

Informatief @eenvandaag.nl item over de grote protesten in Servië

eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/embed/549548/

Security threats in the Western Balkans arise from tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. Concerns about broader unrest in the region remain. @wouterzweers.bsky.social and his co-authors present potential scenarios.

www.clingendael.org/publication/...

Gradual integration of candidate countries into the European Union The gradual integration of candidate countries into the European Union (EU) could help sustain the renewed enlargement momentum that emerged after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, without compromising...

New Report @clingendael.bsky.social about gradual integration. Can the EU sustain the geopolitical enlargement momentum without compromising its stringent accession criteria?

#transport #labourmigration #gradualintegration #eu

1/5🧵

Security and stability scenarios for the Western Balkans This report introduces a comprehensive overview of the factors that will influence security and stability developments in the Western Balkans in the next five years and weighs these in terms of their ...

7/ Lees het volledige rapport hier en zie waarom de Westelijke Balkan een Europese veiligheidsprioriteit moeten blijven 📖➡️ www.clingendael.org/publication/... #WestelijkeBalkan #EU #NAVO

❗De EU, NAVO en Nederland hebben veel middelen om stabiliteit op de Balkan te bevorderen, maar sommige instrumenten moeten versterkt worden, met name als het gaat om het tegengaan van ondermijnende buitenlandse invloed, cyber-aanvallen, versterken van strategische communicatie etc.

❗EUFOR Althea en KFOR blijven cruciaal, maar hun succes hangt af van eensgezindheid in/tussen de EU en de VS, die momenteel geen gegeven is. Versnelde Europese defensie-integratie is noodzakelijk voor het geval de EU er alleen voor komt te staan.

Security and stability scenarios for the Western Balkans This report introduces a comprehensive overview of the factors that will influence security and stability developments in the Western Balkans in the next five years and weighs these in terms of their ...

Enkele conclusies:

❗Maatschappelijke onrust en/of gewapend conflict op de Balkan blijven een risico. De recente veroordeling van Milorad Dodik en daaropvolgende crisis in Bosnië laten zien hoe snel de situatie op scherp kan komen te staan!

Belangrijke risico’s voor de stabiliteit in de regio:
🧨 Spanningen tussen Servië en Kosovo
🧨 Separatistische en etno-nationalistische politieke agenda’s
🧨 Zwakke democratische instituties
🧨 Buitenlandse inmenging en globale geopolitieke onrust
🧨Klimaatverandering en georganiseerde misdaad