EVENT | Can Europe Ever Trust the United States Again? 📢 On January 14, 2026, join @nathalietocci.bsky.social & @jantechau.bsky.social for a live debate launching our "Europe Head-to-Head" project, in which we unpack the most pressing questions facing the EU. 👉 carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...

⚖️🌍 #Rules or #Deals? #Montenegro is at a constitutional crossroads - and the choice matters for the whole region. Read my new piece for @boell.de 👇 boell.de/en/2025/12/1... #EUenlargement #RuleOfLaw #Montenegro

NEW | The UAE has become a major investor in the Western Balkans. With enlargement back on the agenda, the EU must ensure that foreign capital meets its governance standards, write @ilirianagjoni.bsky.social, Iva Čukić, Alba Çela, & Aleksandër Trajçe. carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

At the #EUEnlargementForum I stressed that debates on enlargement must reflect the whole region. #Kosovo remains outside formal candidate framing, yet its #cultural presence is unmistakably #European. 🙏 Thank you, #Telegrafi for capturing this. telegrafi.com/iliriana-xho...

North Macedonia has “no clear path forward” on EU accession. However, if Albania and Montenegro were to join the Union, "that might help to unlock the situation," says @ilirianagjoni.bsky.social, research analyst @carnegieeurope.bsky.social #NorthMacedonia newunionpost.eu/2025/11/18/n...

🔹 Spoke at #CarnegieEurope with Director General @GertJanEU, Rosa Balfour & Stefan Lehne on #EUEnlargement. 📘 2025 package shows real political will. ⚠️ Serbia’s backsliding finally named; Kosovo’s efforts underrated. 🌍 By 2030, MNE, AL, MD & IS could join. Link below. 🔗 youtu.be/2gKR8jdZ9Qg?...

🔹 The Western Balkans are no longer just recipients of security. Countries in the region are building defence industries, joining EU/NATO missions, and exploring paths into EU defence instruments — but reforms and deeper cooperation are still needed. Read Dimitar Bechev and me👇

Looking forward to sharing the floor with 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐉𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐚𝐧, Director-General for Neighbourhood & Enlargement Negotiations at the European Commission, and my colleagues 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 and 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐡𝐧𝐞, Director and Senior Fellow at @carnegieeurope.bsky.social 🌍 Join us on #Nov6!

My latest piece on #Kosovo elections, with Donika Emini.

#interview #montenegrin #vijesti O tome kako se glas može čuti i kroz 🎼 klavir i kroz ✍️ analizu. O 🌍 Balkanu, 🇪🇺 Evropi, i tihoj snazi 🎭 kulture u politici. 🙏 Hvala Samiru Adroviću na pažljivim pitanjima i prostoru da spojim oba svijeta. www.vijesti.me/vijesti/kult...

My latest essay for #EuropeanVoices is out! A journey across music, visas & 🇪🇺 dreams — and what the #WesternBalkans might reveal about the future of #Europe. 👇 Read it here: Borders and Belonging www.linkedin.com/pulse/border... #EuropeanVoices #EUEnlargement #Identity #BalkansInEu

🌿 Honoured to receive a #VibekeSørensenGrant from the #EuropeanUniversityInstitute for a month-long research stay at the #HistoricalArchives of the #EU in Florence 🇮🇹 this autumn. A prestigious award supporting archival work on European integration. More soon! ✨ #EUI #EUarchives #Florence

🎻 The day after Tuz, we played in #Ulqin/#Ulcinj — my hometown — where music met memory. Among familiar faces, with #BledarZajmi & #SenadGačević beside me, we shared a night of cello, piano, and soul. A tradition continued, a spirit revived. 📸: Allmir Suka

🎶 On May 28 in Tuz 🇲🇪, I performed in concert with #BledarZajmi, solo cellist of #PragueOpera. By the River Cem, we played world, #Albanian & #Montenegrin works — including by #Gačević, who was with us in the audience. A night of beauty, belonging & #CulturalDiplomacy. #WesternBalkans #ClassicalMusic

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...

🎶 Honoured to open the #Carnegie Board meeting in Brussels with Debussy’s Clair de Lune—a quiet call for peace through nuance, not force.🌙 💬 Estonia’s FM @Tsahkna : To end the war, #Russia must face consistent pressure. 🌍 #CarnegieEndow - a global force for rules-based order.

As #Montenegro debates a #UAE deal today, the #EU faces a test. Will it offer more than silence as others reshape its neighbourhood? #Ulcinj/#Ulqin could be a pilot for real EU engagement, before accession. “Displacement can arrive in the shape of a beachfront villa.” More in my #CarnegieEurope blog

Honored to be interviewed by #Finland’s oldest news agency #STT (est. 1887) on the ongoing #protests in #Serbia. Citizens, especially students, demand truth & accountability as state narratives try to discredit them. #WesternBalkans #Serbia www.suomenmaa.fi/uutiset/serb...

On Apr 8 I spoke at the #FEPS conference on #EUenlargement, in the session “Progressive Enlargement Under Pressure.” We looked at how #nationalism, #far-right movements & #external actors are reshaping the future of EU enlargement. Here are my 3 key points 🧵:

The future of #Enlargement is being affected by the shift to the (far) right. “A common new chapter for #EUEnlargement” gathered experts & policymakers to discuss: 👉 candidate countries' socio-economic development 👉 young people 👉 role of nationalist & far-right forces ➡️ bit.ly/NewChapterEU...

Më ndiqni në #EuronewsAlbania për analizën mbi rezultatet e zgjedhjeve në #Gjermani dhe ndikimin e tyre në #Europë dhe botë. Çfarë do të thotë kjo për të ardhmen e BE-së dhe ekuilibrat globalë? Link: youtu.be/tUxCBAu-svM?...

On May 28, I’ll be in Tuz, #Montenegro, with the Prague Opera's solo-cellist, Bledar Zajmi! 🎶✨ Excited to perform for the first time in my mom's hometown, honoring my #Malësia roots. A program blending classical masterpieces with #Albanian & Montenegrin music. Can’t wait! 🇦🇱🇲🇪

Some loves are forever. #myvalentine

🇪🇺 Pleasure to speak at the #EuropeanParliament on #EUenlargement! 🎯 Key takeaways: 🔄 Circular labor migration – EU to invest in retaining & reintegrating Balkan talent. 💡 Be bold – EU to stand firmly for democracy & rule of law. 🤝 More EU-Balkan exchanges – at all levels! youtu.be/PcgaALEiiT8?...

Moj zadnji clanak za #StrategicEurope, blog prestiznog instituta @carnegieeurope.bsky.social sada mozete procitati i na #crnogorskom. "𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒍 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒂 𝒅𝒂 𝒐𝒅𝒍𝒖𝒄̌𝒊 𝒅𝒂 𝒍𝒊 𝒄́𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒊 𝒅𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒅𝒓𝒛̌𝒂𝒗𝒂 𝑽𝒖𝒄̌𝒊𝒄́𝒂, 𝒖𝒑𝒓𝒌𝒐𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒋𝒂𝒍𝒏𝒊𝒎 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒍𝒋𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒂 𝒑𝒐 𝑲𝒐𝒔𝒐𝒗𝒐 𝒊 𝑪𝒓𝒏𝒖 𝑮𝒐𝒓𝒖" www.vijesti.me/svijet/balka...

By refusing to apply pressure on #Vučić, the #EU is emboldening the #Serbian government. If #Brussels is serious about supporting #democracy in the #WesternBalkans, it must empower the Serbian people—not their #authoritarian rulers. Read my analysis for #CarnegieEurope's Strategic Europe blog here:

Very happy to be part of this impressive #panel at the #EUparliament next week! Among #MEPs and #experts from the #EU institutions and #CivilSociety. Let's go, #EUenlargement! 💪

"From a 🇪🇺 perspective, #Montenegro, an EU candidate and democratic country – should resolve its challenges through regular #parliamentary procedures. Political actors to avoid hateful rhetoric and focus on building political #consensus. Solutions: preliminary budget and involving impartial bodies."

[Analysis] #EUEnlargement - #NorthMacedonia’s #EU path: Challenges and opportunities in 2025, by Zweers Wouter, Benjamin Couteau @dimitarbechev.bsky.social , @ilirianagjoni.bsky.social , Milan Nic & Nikola Xavier | @clingendael.bsky.social

🎶✨ Brussels peeps, mark your calendars! 📅 Jan 19, 2025 🕔 5 PM 📍 Art Base (Rue des Sables 29, 1000 Brussels) Join me & pianist Rea Veizi for an unforgettable evening of classical melodies! 🎼🎹 🎟️ Grab your tickets: send short email to [email protected] #BrusselsEvents

My next concert is in #Brussels! 📅 19 January 2025, 17h00 📍 Art Base, Brussels Excited to invite you to my next #concert with Paris-based pianist Rea Veizi and me! The one-hour concert will be followed by drinks and a chance to meet the artists. 🎟 Tickets: [email protected].

#Kosovo might not have candidate status yet, but it’s quietly leading by example: real reforms in justice, anti-corruption, rule of law, & economic growth, per #CouncilConclusions. No shortcuts, no profit-driven moves - just genuine commitment to the EU path.👏🇽🇰 #EUintegration

Talked to #EUobserver on the EU- #WesternBalkans Summit. #Montenegro and #Albania strike positive steps ahead by closing 3 chapters and opening #Cluster6 negotiations, respectively. #Serbia blocked by 8 EU countries on the opening of #Cluster3. euobserver.com/eu-and-the-w...

Scoping trip to #TheHague with #Clingendael, #DGAP, #DelorsInstitute & #CarnegieEurope. Insights on Dutch view on #EUenlargement: parallels with #France on narrative & merit vs geopolitics, but unique with annual Parliament review of a gov letter on the topic. Thanks Clingendael!

#Grenell wasn’t picked as Special Envoy for #Ukraine & #Russia, but he’s set to return as Envoy for #SpecialMissions, including the #Balkans, per #Reuters. 💬 Last month I explored what this could mean for the region on #CarnegieEurope's Blog: 🔗 carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat... What's your take?

Ahead of the #EU - #WesternBalkans Summit on #18December, we are pleased to share our latest memo on #NorthMacedonia's #EU accession journey in 2025. It was a privilege to visit #Skopje alongside colleagues from #DelorsInstitute, #DGAP, #Clingendael and #CarnegieEurope, as well as #Tetova on my own.

First #concert in #Paris! Honored to perform with Rea Veizi in a #piano 4-hand program featuring #Debussy, #Mozart, #Fauré, and #Brahms. The city was alive with the spirit of #NotreDame reopening—an unforgettable night. Grateful to all who joined! Next stop: #Brussels, Jan 19. 🎶✨ #ClassicalMusic

Moja zadnja #analiza prevodjena je za #crnogorske #Vijesti. Ps. Drago bi mi bilo da mi nisu preveli i ime. :D www.vijesti.me/svijet/balka...

🚨 New article alert! 🚨 Richard Grenell's return to #US diplomacy would present both risks & opportunities for the Western #Balkans. While the new 🇺🇸 administration may offer flashy deals, countries in the region must remain committed to European integration. carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat...

Choose one alive or human

Join us for a 4-hands #pianorecital in #Paris on #7December at 21h at Théâtre de l’Île Saint-Louis.🎶 With Paris-based #ReaVeizi & me—a #Brussels-based Albanian/Montenegrin/German pianist (yes, quite the combo!)-we bring you a program of #inspiration & #emotion. Don’t miss it!