The representatives of WestBalkanNet (WBN), Boban Batrićević and Lejla Salihagić Batrićević, participated in the prestigious European conference Forum 2000, which was held in Prague. This significant international event brought together prominent political leaders, activists, academics, and civil society representatives, with the goal of promoting democracy, human rights, and transatlantic cooperation.
Batrićević at the Panel “Western Balkans: Illiberal Equilibrium”
The Executive Director of WBN, Boban Batrićević, was one of the speakers at the panel “Western Balkans: Illiberal Equilibrium,” where political challenges in the region were discussed. In addition to Batrićević, the panelists included:
- Agon Maliqi, one of the founders of the media platform Sbunker (Kosovo/Albania)
- Stevan Dojčinović, editor of the investigative portal KRIK (Serbia)
- Elira Lulu, professor of International Relations (Albania)
The discussion was moderated by Magdalena Jakubowska, the Vice President of the Polish think tank Res Publica.
In his speech, Batrićević emphasized the importance of Montenegro’s European perspective, but also warned about serious obstacles on that path. He particularly highlighted:
- The constant interference of Serbia in Montenegro’s internal politics,
- Hybrid threats from pro-Russian proxies,
- Assimilation policies of Serbian institutions toward the Montenegrin nation.
He also warned about Montenegro’s geostrategic potential as a point of destabilization in the region, through foreign influences, as well as the growing pressure on critics of the current government, who are subjected to persecution, harassment, and media attacks.
Batrićević appealed for Montenegro to be separated from the Enlargement Package in order to enable its faster integration into the EU. He also urged Brussels to put more pressure on the Government of Montenegro to align its policies more with the EU and less with Belgrade. He placed special emphasis on the announced changes to the conditions for acquiring Montenegrin citizenship and warned about the role of the President of the Parliament, Andrija Mandić, as well as the growing influence of Serbia, Russia, Hungary, and China in Montenegro.
Meeting with Lech Wałęsa and Participation in the Donor Dinner
On the first day of the Forum, Batrićević was a speaker at the donor dinner organized by the Forum 2000 Foundation. This exclusive event was also attended by Lech Wałęsa, one of the most significant European politicians of the 20th century, leader of the Solidarity movement, and former President of Poland after the fall of communism.
In addition to Batrićević, the speakers at the donor dinner included:
- Szu-chien Hsu, representative of Taiwan’s National Security Council
- Wutyee Maung, young opposition leader from Myanmar
The dinner was attended by numerous politicians, activists, and public figures from the Czech Republic, the European Union, and the United States.
Salihagić Batrićević at the Forum 2000 Strategic Workshop
The Program Coordinator of WBN, Lejla Salihagić Batrićević, participated in the workshop “Challenges to Democracy in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership“, where she represented the organization. This meeting was dedicated to the implementation of an international project that WBN and its partners are carrying out under the leadership of Forum 2000.
At the meeting, the first phase of the project implementation was agreed upon, which will result in the creation of a Discussion Paper in the spring of 2025. The paper will include an analysis of the key challenges to democratization in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions.
WestBalkanNet will continue to actively contribute to the work of Forum 2000, as well as broader European initiatives aimed at strengthening democracy and institutional resilience in the region.
