Antoinette Nikolova

Antoinette Nikolova is director of the Balkan Free Media Initiative. After months of silence in the face of unprecedented anti-government protests in Serbia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen finally rebuked Belgrade for its failure to deliver on EU reforms. She called on Serbia to “take decisive steps towards media freedom, the fight against corruption, and the electoral reform.” The reprimand was long overdue.

Georgia’s aspirations to become an EU member are going nowhere fast. EU leaders effectively put the brakes on negotiations in June, in response to democratic backsliding. It also froze €30 million destined for the Caucasus country of some 3.7 million people. In so doing, the EU faces a dilemma: Upholding its democratic values, some regional analysts say, could benefit undemocratic adversaries. That means foremost Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Russia's war in Ukraine has sparked a renewed sense of urgency to expand Western institutions such as NATO and the European Union. Just as Sweden and Finland reversed decades of neutrality to join the US-led military alliance, countries on the EU's eastern frontier are pressing their case to join the bloc. After years of foot-dragging, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina may be not only desirable additions to the EU, but a security necessity in the face of Russian hostility.