The ripple effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine, combined with the emergence of a new world order, are pushing Europe to redefine its security paradigm. The success of this effort, however, will largely depend on whether the Western Balkans are included.
The situation with Ukraine, a country both outside of NATO and the EU, yet deeply tied to Europe geographically, has shown how security vulnerabilities in non-member states can have repercussions for the whole continent. The effects of this war, along with the new world order taking its place, prompt increased and urgent calls for a new security infrastructure in the EU.
But today, the Balkans, a region which has historically played a huge part in building peace throughout the continent, remains the largest non-EU territory bordering EU countries on East, West, North and South. This territory also corresponds with the so-called Western Balkan region, often described as the powder-keg of Europe, as it is haunted by unresolved ethnic tensions, external geopolitical influences, and stalled EU integration.
Three of the Western Balkan’s six countries are NATO members: Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia, with the remaining having no prospects of joining the alliance in the near future. At the same time, with NATO’s role facing uncertainty and regional tensions in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia, the Western Balkans finds itself nowhere at the table for the new security architecture, which presents a dangerous oversight the EU can’t allow itself.
Europe cannot afford to leave the Western Balkans outside its security umbrella, especially while promising quick European integration to these countries. If security is an urgent priority for the EU, any serious discussion about ensuring long-term European stability must include the region sooner rather than later.
The European security architecture should include the countries of the Western Balkans, as the region holds a critical geopolitical position which directly affects the EU’s security, especially due to its proximity and its role in travel, trade, and regional stability, which could quickly impact the whole continent.
While all Western Balkan countries aspire to EU membership, with some already making significant progress, the potential challenges in the process could be addressed through a phased approach. This could begin with joint security exercises, intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and participation in select EU security initiatives, gradually leading to full alignment as these countries advance toward EU membership.
However, in no way should the EU leave the Western Balkans behind in this process or wait for full membership first. The Western Balkans should also be proactive on this. It is in the mutual interest of both the EU and the Western Balkans to collaborate on common security. The region’s stability is integral to the security of Europe as a whole, and excluding it would only risk destabilizing the whole continent.
It does not stop with the Western Balkans. Türkiye has also already asked to be included in the EU Security Framework, recognising the increasing need for broader regional cooperation, especially given its strategic proximity to the Balkans and Europe.
This can definitely be achieved even without these countries being full members at the moment. In fact, the EU already has some international systems and frameworks involving other countries which are not EU members, such as the Schengen Area, EFTA, or the SEPA system, the latter of which Western Balkan countries began joining last year.
A house cannot stand strong without all its foundations, and creating Europe’s security architecture is no different, as the Western Balkans forms a crucial cornerstone of the continent’s stability. As the EU faces a momentum for reshaping its security architecture, so far the Western Balkans remains off the topic. Neglecting this region would leave cracks for instability to seep through.
Bojan Lazarevski
Bojan Lazarevski is a political scientist in international and intercultural studies based in North Macedonia. Bojan is also a writing fellow with Young Voices Europe and an activist and researcher.
