GEO-POWER-EU Newsletter #3

We are pleased to present five new GEO-POWER-EU research reports. They cover key topics in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership, including a Public Opinion Survey on citizens’ views of the EU, NATO, and other international actors, as well as analyses of EU enlargement policy, the Eastern Partnership, foreign influence through corrosive capital and disinformation, and EU defence cooperation.

New publications now available:

• Public Opinion Survey on Foreign Policy Perceptions in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership
• D2.1 – Discerning the Perceptual Gap Between EU Policies and the Countries’ Expectations and Needs
• D2.4 – The Relevance of the Eastern Partnership (EaP)
• D3.3 I Foreign Influence Challenges: Corrosive Capital and Disinformation in the Western Balkans and Associated Trio
• D3.2 – EU Defence Cooperation under Geopolitical Stress: Roles, Hurdles and Opportunities

Our blog series continues to offer short, policy-relevant insights from GEO-POWER-EU research. Recent posts explore democratic pressures, EU defence cooperation, and regional interdependence, with some analyses drawing on the GEO-POWER-EU Interdependence Database:

• Bosnians Most Dissatisfied in the Balkans with Their Politics – Is Brussels Listening?
• Europeans Want More EU Defence Cooperation – Governments Are Holding Back
• Student Movements and the Future of the European Idea in Serbia
• Georgia: Between Geopolitics, Europeanisation, and National Sovereignty
• Türkiye’s Cultural and Social Impact in Ukraine
• Data Knowns and Unknowns in Bosnia and Herzegovina

GEO-POWER-EU researchers continue to engage actively with policymakers, academics, students, and civil society through a combination of project-organised events and contributions to externally hosted public discussions. These activities ensure that GEO-POWER-EU research findings inform policy debates and reach audiences well beyond the consortium.

Recent GEO-POWER-EU–organised and researcher-led events include:

• Public Opinion in Serbia: Findings from GEO-POWER-EU 2025 Survey (online, 7 October 2025)
  Organised by Prof. Filip Ejdus and the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, this event focused on the Serbian results of the GEO-POWER-EU Public Opinion Survey. Watch the recording here.
• Geopolitics from Below: Survey Insights from Montenegro, the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership (Podgorica, 24 September 2025)
  Held at the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Montenegro, the public event examined GEO-POWER-EU Public Opinion Survey findings on Montenegro in a broader regional context.
• GEO-POWER-EU Findings Presented at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI) (Stockholm, 21 October 2025)
  At an event organised by consortium partner UI, Dr. Tena Prelec presented GEO-POWER-EU research on political attitudes and governance in Serbia following the student-led protests that began in late 2024, examining implications for democratic change and EU accession dynamics.

The GEO-POWER-EU Talks podcast continues with expert discussions on Europe’s geopolitical landscape:

Episode 4 – EU Defence Cooperation under Geopolitical Stress
Hosted by Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, with Dr. Björn Fägersten and Denis Verret, exploring joint procurement, defence integration, NATO relations, and strategic autonomy.

Episode 5 – EU Enlargement Package 2025
Hosted by Asuman Kubra Bas, with Dr. Tena Prelec, Prof. Filip Ejdus, and Kakha Gogolashvili, discussing Montenegro, Serbia, Georgia, and the future credibility of EU enlargement.

Listen to Episode 4 and Episode 5🎙️

GEO-POWER-EU researchers have remained active across academic, media, and policy arenas—bringing evidence-based insights into today’s most pressing geopolitical debates.

Publications 

• Op-ed by Dr. Kurt Bassuener and Toby Vogel from Democratization Policy Council (DPC) on the EU’s approach to Serbia amid mass protests, published in EUobserver.
• Commentary by Dr. Kurt Bassuener (DPC), “Beyond Dayton: Imagining a Better Deal for Bosnia,” published in Balkan Insight.
• Article by Assist. Prof. Tena Prelec (University of Rijeka) in Public Integrity on illicit finance and Russian foreign policy.
• Analysis by the DPC team on the second Trump administration’s transactional approach to geopolitics.
• Article by Assoc. Prof. Filip Ejdus (Belgrade University) and Dr. Marina Vulović (University of Potsdam) on Serbia’s attachment to Kosovo, published in Review of International Studies.

Media & Public Engagement 

• Assist. Prof Tena Prelec (University of Rijeka) shared the findings of GEO-POWER-EU Research on corrosive capital and Public Opinion Survey in an interview with Montenegrin Outlet, Vijesti.
• Dr. Valery Perry (DPC) joined the podcast Connections with Evan Dawson, reflecting on peace agreements such as Dayton and their relevance to Ukraine and Gaza.

Events 

• Prof. Nikolaos Tzifakis (University of Peloponnese (UoP)), GEO-POWER-EU Coordinator, participated in the online discussion “Whose Peace? Rethinking Three Decades of Post-War Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
• Prof. Filip Ejdus (Belgrade University) presented GEO-POWER-EU research at an event titled “Serbia Between Turmoil and Hope: Student Protests and Geopolitical Crossroads”, organized by the Ohio State University.
• Assoc. Prof. Panagiota Manoli (UoP) and Prof. Nikolaos Tzifakis (UoP) presented a joint paper on EU enlargement after Russia’s war on Ukraine at 18th Pan-European Conference on International Relations (EISA PEC 2025) in Bologna.

The GEO-POWER-EU team is developing three indices measuring the geopolitical influence of external actors in the Western Balkans and Associated Trio countries: the Interdependence Index, the Exposure Risk Index, and the Strategic Autonomy Index. A social media sentiment analysis report, examining public attitudes toward the EU, US, Russia, China, and Turkey in the region, will soon be published. Partners are also preparing for the mid-term evaluation and the next consortium meeting in Moldova in May, which will include strategic foresight workshops on the prospects of geopolitical competition.

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