Western Balkans Perspectives on the Future of Europe

Florent Marciacq, PhD is Deputy Secretary General of the Vienna-based Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe, Senior Fellow at the Centre international de formation européenne in Berlin and Nice and member of the Observatoire des Balkans at the Fondation Jean Jaurès in Parus. He is a cofounder and coordinator of several track-II initiatives covering the Western Balkans, the countries of the Eastern Partnership and the politics of European foreign policy. Florent Marciacq holds a Ph.D. in political sciences from the University of Vienna and Luxembourg, graduated in international relations, management and sinology. He previously worked as an Associate Researcher at the European Governance Research Group of the University of Luxembourg, OSCE Researcher in residence in Prague and Guest researcher at the Austrian Defence Academy in Vienna. Florent Marciacq teaches European politics and regularly publishes academic peer-reviewed contributions, think-tank policy-papers and articles in the press.

Publications in 2021 include: Fixing the ethics of enlargement. The Progressive Post (vol. 16, 22.6.2021); Towards more Cohesion in the enlargement policy? Tapping the potential of the Weimar Triangle. Genshagen Papiere, co-authored with T. Żornaczuk.(march 2021); La Chine dans les Balkans occidentaux: influence et enjeux stratéquiques. Notes de la Fondation Jean Jaurès (22.3.2021)

Blerta Tuci holds a Master of Science in International Relations from Corvinus University of Budapest and a Master in International Relations from the University of Tirana after graduating from the Faculty of History and Philology. Blerta worked as a researcher at the Institute for Social and European Studies in Hungary, part of the Hungarian National Program of Excellence and as project coordinator for a number of non-profit organizations in Albania. She has managed the EU Information Corner at the Municipality of Tirana, while currently is working as Project Manager at EuroPartners Development organisation. Blerta is member of EU Policy Hub where contributes as researcher for issues related to European Integration process. She is author of several article  in Balkan Studies, Civil Society Development in the Balkans and the EU Integration Process in the Western Balkans.

I am Oltion Kadaifciu, with a Master in European Studies and varied professional experiences during my more tan 20 years of practice. I have been working in civil society organizations, education and development. I am also a blogger and creative writer contributing in theater and other artistic and social happenings in Albania (oltionkadaifciu.com). Participating in these activities that want to give a contribution in envisioning the future of Europe, I stand for a more rational and related Europe, and this for me above all means stronger cultural communication and cooperation and cohesive education.  

Anida Šabanović is a Project Manager for Center for Civil Society Promotion in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Anida holds a Master degree in Economics. She covers the research in public administration, good governance and economic areas. Anida works on projects dealing with European integration, policy creation, capacity building of government institutions, fight against corruption, promotion of human rights and women’s rights. She has experience in drafting policies and has cooperated with different non-governmental organizations in BiH as well as international organisations. Anida has experience in consultancy and has been author, co-author or contributor of reports, political analyses and texts related to European integration process as well as gender issues.

Rasim Ibrahimagić is a Research Associate at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Sarajevo, working mostly on political education and foreign policy issues. He graduated from the University of Tuzla, with bachelor’s degree in Law. Already as student he got involved in civil society, dealing throughout the years with topics such as transitional justice, human rights, rule of law and democracy. Before joining the FES BiH team he coordinated the Initiative for Monitoring the European Integration of BiH, a 40-members civil society coalition which contributes to monitoring of reforms and overviews the application of EU policies, laws and standards in BiH.

Donika Emini (PhD candidate in Politics and International Relations at the University of Westminster, London) is leading the CiviKos Platform, a secretariat gathering 270 CSOs in Kosovo. She holds a scholarship of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), and a master’s degree in Public Policy, specializing in Public and Non-Profit Management and International Relations. Upon her return from Germany to Kosovo, Ms. Emini was a recipient of the OSI – Think Tank Young Professional Development Program as part of the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies where she previously worked (2013-2019). Furthermore, she was a Research Fellow at the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) Paris Office HQ – fellowship granted by the European Fund for the Balkans. Previously, Ms. Emini worked with the Transparency International Secretariat in Berlin, Balkan Policy Institute (IPOL), and the General Consulate of the Republic of Kosovo in New York. Ms. Emini is country analyst for Freedom House covering Kosovo and Albania.

Ms. Emini’s field of expertise include regional cooperation, dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, security cooperation between Western Balkans and the EU (CSDP). She has been actively working in the Eastern Partnership Countries on cybersecurity as part of the EU funded projects. 

Visar Xhambazi works as a policy researcher and project manager at Democracy for Development (D4D) Institute based in Kosovo and is also engaged with the German-based organization United Europe as a young professional advisor. Visar focuses primarily on US foreign policy, Euro-Atlantic integration, regional cooperation and the Western Balkans. He is the author of several policy papers and articles. His work has been published in several local and international magazines such as Prishtina Insight, Balkan Insight, Visegrad Insight, The Globe Post, New Eastern Europe, Emerging Europe and European Western Balkans. Mr. Xhambazi holds a master’s degree in International Studies from Old Dominion University, specializing in US foreign policy and international relations, and a bachelor’s degree in management and public policy from Rochester Institute of Technology. 

Jovana Marović (PhD, Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade) is a Vice President of the United Reform Action (URA), a pro-European green political party in Montenegro. From 2004 until 2021, Jovana worked as a Counselor for the European Union within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ multilateral department, an advisor for International Relations and European Integration within the Cabinet of the Budva Municipality’s Mayor, a Research Coordinator at the Institute Alternative (a think tank), a Special Advisor to the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, and the Executive Director of the Politikon Network, a think tank based in Podgorica. Jovana was a Member of the Working Group for Chapter 23, Judiciary and Fundamental Rights from 2012-2021, within the Montenegrin Accession Negotiations for EU membership, and a member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group, BiEPAG, from 2015-2021.

Viktor Mitevski is a Fulbright Scholar who holds MSc in Economics from Texas A&M University, USA. He served as a Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance of North Macedonia and covered issues related to international financial relations, financial control, EU accession process, EU Pre-Accession Assistance – IPA and public finance (PFM) reforms. During his mandate he took the lead in coordinating and overseeing the Economic Reform Program (ERP).
In addition to the activities related to EU accession, Mitevski was responsible for leading the transparency and accountability in the Ministry. In only two years the Ministry of Finance become the most transparent and accountable institution in the country.
Aside from his experience at the public sector, Mitevski has immense experience in civil society and quantitative policy based research. Together with a group of 7 researchers, he co-founded the Association for research and analysis ZMAI. The Association has published over 15 policy briefs and research papers and is actively engaged in the dialogue between the Government and the Civil Society.
 

Jovana Spremo works as Advisor specialized for EU integration related policies at Lawyers’ 
Committee for Human Rights YUCOM. She holds the BA in International Relations at the Faculty 
of Political Science of the University of Belgrade, MA in the interdisciplinary programme of 
International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law and is pursuing master degree in 
European Integration at the Law Faculty of the University of Belgrade. She is the coordinator of 
the Working Group for Chapter 23 of the National Convention on European Union.
Her expertise is in the domain of rule of law, with special focus on EU negotiation process, mainly 
covering topics related to judiciary and war crimes. She also covers topics of protection of human 
rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as in transitional justice and reconciliation. She is 
engaged in monitoring the Brussels Agreement implementation and the process of normalization 
of the relations between Serbia and Kosovo, with focus on judiciary integration.
Jovana is alumna of several international and regional programmes, including the OSCE Dialogue 
Academy of Young Women and Reporting on Genocide and Mass Violence Programme 
organized by the International Nuremberg Principles Academy. She has written several 
publications and reports on different topics tackling rule of law and human rights.

Igor Bandović is the Director of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, a position he has occupied since November 2019.  Before joining the BCSP, he was a Senior Programme Manager for the European Fund for the Balkans and was is in charge of policy research and advocacy initiatives within the Fund, including coordination of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group and think tank support programmes. He managed the Gallup Balkan Monitor, a regional public opinion survey conducted through partnership with Gallup Europe (2009-2011). Igor has also worked for the various international organisations, including International Organisation for Migration and the United Nations Development Programme (2006-2008). From 2002 to 2006, Igor worked at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, where his research priorities were human rights education, international criminal law and reconciliation. 

His recent publications include the research report, “North Macedonia: What’s Next?” and research papers, “Balkan Strongmen and Fragile Institutions”, “The European Question in Serbia’s Party Politics”, “The Role of Civil Society Organisations in Influencing the Policy-Making Process in the Western Balkans: Perspectives and Obstacles”. 

Igor’s engagement in civil society began in 1997 when he established Libergraf, a non-governmental organisation that works on public education, the promotion of human rights and civic activism. 

He studied international law and international relations at the University of Belgrade and University Union, Belgrade, Serbia.