Introducing “The Balkan Regatta”

Crisis Group Balkans Project   |  19 May 2011

Here they come, sailing furiously from communism, war, corruption and misery to the sunny European finish line: the states of the former Yugoslavia, minus Slovenia, plus Albania, in EU-speak the “Western Balkans”. By setting them in a regatta – so that each advances to membership on its own merits – the EU hoped to encourage everyone along in a fair race. It is anything but stately – some sail smoothly, others wander, reverse course, or ram their neighbor, and little Kosovo isn’t even sure it’s allowed to compete. But it’s fascinating to watch, comment and cheer: hence this blog.

Some of our pieces will be long(ish) and others will be short, focused on very specific issues that we can’t cover is sufficiently obsessive detail in our regular reporting. And while our blog is a group product, it will have a more individual voice (or rather voices). We hope that this can be more of a conversation than a one way flow of information – click here to contact us and share your thoughts.