Paris – ESI contributes to two high-level ECFR discussions on EU enlargement and the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue

Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Paris. Photo: ESI

On 8 and 9 December 2025, Adnan Ćerimagić, ESI’s senior analyst for the Western Balkans, took part in two expert events organised by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Paris. Both discussions brought together policymakers, diplomats, academics, and analysts to examine key challenges facing EU enlargement and regional stability.

On 8 December, Adnan joined a closed expert roundtable on the prospects of the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue, hosted at ECFR’s Paris office. The discussion gathered specialists from across Europe to assess recent developments, identify obstacles to meaningful progress, and consider how the EU and its partners can help prevent further escalation. Participants reflected on lessons from previous negotiation rounds and explored options to rebuild trust, reduce political tensions, and sustain long-term conflict management efforts.  

The following day, on 9 December, Adnan contributed to the public conference Larger, safer Europe: How to get EU enlargement right, held at the Agence Française de Développement. The event examined how the EU can advance enlargement in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment, with panels addressing the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine, bottlenecks in the accession process, economic and social convergence, and the growing role of gradual integration tools. Speakers included senior officials from EU member states, the European Commission, development banks, and think-tanks.  

Adnan highlighted ESI’s research on the dynamics of EU enlargement in the Western Balkans, the risks of prolonged stagnation, and the importance of credible, merit-based pathways that deliver tangible benefits to citizens before accession.

• ESI proposal: “Preventing violence – transform Kosovo dialogue”
• ESI background: “Scoreboard - The true state of accession - What the Commission assessments reveal”
• ESI proposal: “End the turtle race How the EU can address the crisis of the accession process”
• ESI proposal: “Offer the four freedoms to the Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova For a merit-based EU accession process with a credible goal”
• ESI proposal: “47 again? Russia out, Kosovo in Support Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe”
• ESI proposal: “Abandon clichés about Bosnia: Push EU-related reforms instead of arbitrary conditions”
• ESI proposal: “No partition: Why Kosovo and Serbia must not discuss territory”
• ESI report: “Anti-Corruption Report for the West Balkans: Measure corruption in order to fight it”