Speaker

The EU enlargement process, especially in relation to the Western Balkans, has been brought once more to the forefront of the Union’s agenda, due to the great geopolitical shifts in the EU neighborhood. With diverging opinions on that matter, a political chess-game has been underway in Brussels and European capitals on how to proceed. EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen unveiled a new Western Balkans support plan last May, while a summit of Western Balkans leaders in Athens in August paved the way for future developments.

As major floods, wildfires and other natural disasters are becoming all the more common, costing lives and affecting livelihoods from Hawaii to Evros, states seem powerless to stem the tides of the climate crisis. Is it time for a global discussion on how to transform disaster response across the globe in order to regain the trust of the citizens? Is the climate emergency an issue of national security?