Anchoring the Balkans: Evaluating EU Enlargement, Transatlantic Commitment and Europe’s Security Challenge

On 15 February 2026, an event was held in Munich at the Garden Restaurant of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, organised by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in cooperation with Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. The discussion examined the EU enlargement process in the Western Balkans in the context of current European security dynamics. It focused in particular on the nexus between enlargement and security, in light of renewed momentum for accession and the role of transatlantic cooperation. Participants addressed the state of play and main challenges of the accession process in the region, as well as the role of the EU, the United States and NATO. The discussion also considered the impact of regional dynamics on Europe’s broader security architecture and the role of civil society in fostering reform, stability and resilience.