The legacy of Dayton, Ohio: while armed conflict had been prevented since the signing of the Dayton Agreement, ethnic tensions and restlessness are still very eminent within Bosnia and Herzegovina. As peace in the country is key for the stability in the region, a central interest of the whole European Community, is there a need for modifications in the Dayton Agreement in order to ensure future progress towards universal contentment?
Balkanization of Europe: Many local separatist movements both within and around the EU, such as the Catalonian separatist movement or even the issue of Kosovo, have been switching to a high gear in the past years. What should the EU’s unified policy be towards breakaway nations, with special consideration to the question of EU membership?
Deus ex Machina: considering the accusations towards European and other foreign powers with rampant interventionism in regions that lead to long-standing conflicts, with the interventions during the Yugoslav wars and recently in Syria being a prime example, (how) should the EU reconsider its foreign policy when it comes to intervening in foreign conflicts?
Truman Doctrine v2.0: In recent years the EU has been taking a more and more supportive stance towards the countries of the Eastern Partnership, often jeopardising its relations with Russia, a key trading partner in the energy sector. Keeping the European ambitions of the Eastern partnership countries in mind, how could the EU support these countries forging closer ties with Europe, while keeping its relationship with Russia stable?
Common history, common strifes: current post-Yugoslav states share a lot more than just burek: their history. Despite this fact, perspectives within the school curriculums of each country on the Yugoslav war highly differ, often leading to nationalist ideologies and furthering tension between the countries. As we move further and further away from the Yugoslav war, and with ex-Yugoslav states getting closer and closer to ‘re-unifying’ under the EU, what can be done to improve relationships of the citizens of these states through their education?
Crisis at the ballot: The decades long lack of the rule of law in the West-Balkan region has lead to never before seen disillusionment of the youth with the world of politics. Nowadays, with an ever aging pool of candidates, involvement of youth in politics both as candidates and as voters has drastically declined. What ways can western-balkan states stimulate youth involvement in politics, without straying towards a specific political affiliation?
Frontline of the migrant crisis: Taking into consideration the unprecedented flow of migrants and refugees from the MENA region towards Europe through the Balkan route, and the fundamentally divergent stances of EU member states on the issue, what can the EU do in cooperation with the West Balkan states in order to prevent a looming humanitarian crisis?
Nothing is lost, everything is transformed: Sustainability is one of the most important mantras of our modern age. With the EU enabling policy framework for a shift towards a circular economy, how can both the EU in general and its Member States more efficiently manage existing resources and realign production through the existing infrastructure and technologies in order to ensure a more sustainable economy?
Renewable or Nuclear: 30% of the electricity used in the EU comes from Nuclear Power, while only 16% is produced in a renewable manner. Recognising the pros and cons of each respective direction, and the fact that some member states are supporters of total movement away from nuclear power, while others are actively building modern plants, how should the EU strategize in order to meet both environmental goals and energy needs?
Lessons from tragedy: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia that dealt with war crimes that happened in the Balkans since the 90s is ending this year. Considering the gravity of the crimes in question, such as the massacre in Srebrenica that has been proclaimed a genocide by the ICTY, what are the lessons to be learned in order to ensure fair and effective trials to follow within the Tribunal for Kosovo, formed early this year?
“Mundardyas la e Kali Legiya”: Despite strong efforts against discrimination of all forms, Roma people are still widely discriminated against in education, employment, and in everyday life. On the other hand, integration efforts have mostly failed, with the Balkan region lagging behind their EU member state neighbours. What is the way forward for the rights of the Roma People? What can states do in order to balance support towards the Roma, while supporting further integration?
2017 - The year of Cyberwarfare: Ransomware, Malware, Denial of Service Attack have all become household names this year. The attacks this year have been mostly relatively benign, but with accusations of meddling in foreign elections, or even the perspective of lethal cyber warfare looming on the horizon have brought up many questions regarding how the international community should categorise and legislate cyber attacks. Is there a need for a Digital Geneva Convention, or should each country set its own standards and defences?