This interdisciplinary workshop aims at approaching the region through various innovative perspectives to evaluate its subjective and objective position towards the rest of Europe.

The Balkan region is located in the neighbourhood of the European Union and shares a long history with the European continent. This workshop aims at freeing the Western Balkans from their image as an enclave for the purpose of offering a more constructive analysis and comprehensive European perspectives. Beyond the ‘Western Balkan’ label (‘WB’ label), there is a set of countries embedded in a larger macro- and interregional reality. Mapping the larger area of the enclave’s genuine neighbourhood will emphasise how close the WB are to their EU environment. This new conceptual framework furthermore serves to address recurring questions about integration and democracy. Proximity and neighbourhood as concepts bear the potential to rethink the region instead of excluding a part of it from our European interrogations.

Organisers: Christina Griessler, Adam Bence Balazs

This event is part of the series of celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Andrássy University of Budapest.