Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), in partnership with Modul University Vienna, is pleased to host the second session of the Western Balkans First Series, a high-level conference exploring the strategic, political, and social dynamics shaping Europe today. Against the backdrop of an EU navigating internal divisions, debates over its future enlargement, and the complex challenges posed by ongoing geopolitical crises, the conference will bring together leading policymakers, scholars, and experts to discuss two pressing topics.

The first panel, Waiting for Godot: European Enlargement in the Western Balkans, will explore the longstanding delays and frustrations experienced by Western Balkan countries in their EU accession journey. Participants will examine the political, governance, and societal challenges that have kept the region waiting for decades. 

The second panel, Too Big to Digest: The High Stakes of Ukrainian EU Accession, will highlight Ukraine’s accelerated path toward membership, effectively “skipping the queue.” The discussion will address the political, security, and social implications of integrating a country facing ongoing conflict and major reform challenges.

The conference will conclude with a standing reception, providing participants with an opportunity for further discussion and networking. This event aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the EU’s evolving role in Europe, contrasting the slow-moving Western Balkans enlargement process with Ukraine’s rapid accession trajectory. 

The event will be held in English. 

Program:

14:00 – Opening Remarks:

  • Karl Wöber, President of MODUL University Vienna
  • Rodrigo Ballester, Head of Center for European Studies at MCC

14:20 – Contextual Introduction: EU Enlargement – From Irrelevance to Existential Policy: Who Shall be Next and Why?

  • Rodrigo Ballester, Head of the Center for European Studies at MCC

14:35 – Panel 1: Waiting for Godot: European Enlargement in the Western Balkans

  • Dr. Marija Risteska, founder and Executive Directress of the Centre for Research and Policy Making (CRPM)
  • H.E. Filip Ivanovic, Vice President of the Government of Montenegro 
  • Miroslav Gačević, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of European Integration, Republic of Serbia Misa Djurkovic, Head of the MCC-MKI Center for Geopolitics
  • Moderator: Ralph Schoellhammer, Head of the Center for Applied History and International Relations

15:35 – Q&A

15:50 – Intermission

16:10 – Panel 2: Too Big to Digest: The High Stakes of Ukrainian EU Accession

  • Doug Stokes, Head of the School of International Relations at Modul University
  • Dr. Alexander Dubowy, Political Analyst and Eastern Europe Researcher
  • Ruslan Bortnik, President of the Ukrainian Institute for Politics and Research Fellow at Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA)
  • Dr. Seremet Sándor, Senior Researcher at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA)
  • Moderator: Rodrigo Ballester, Head of the Center for European Studies at MCC

17:10 – Q&A

17:30 – End of Event & Standing Reception