The panel started with a keynote speech of Alma Zadić, Federal Minister of Justice in Austria. The subsequent discussion underscored a shared consensus: judicial reform is both a fundamental precondition and a cornerstone of the EU accession process. As such, it requires a long-term perspective, regardless of the argument that countries in the Western Balkans waited too long for accession.

The stage for the panel was set by the Moderator, Marta Martinelli, Non-resident scholar at Carnegie Europe, who pointed to the very large number of conflicts around the world, where one in seven people experience some kind of conflict. The panellists readily agreed that the media do not give enough attention to conflicts outside of Europe, as well as to those conflicts which do not directly involve the geopolitical interests of Great Powers.

The ongoing war in Ukraine was one of the topics of the second day of the Belgrade Security Conference. Panelists engaged in a thought-provoking conversation, offering their views on the possible outcome of the war with new political circumstances in mind. The main conclusion was that exactly 1000 days from the start of the war, help to Ukraine and cessation of hostilities are of the utmost importance.

The opening panel of the second day delved into how and whether Europe can adapt to the emerging international crises and issues. Three key challenges identified include the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which directly threatens European security, economic and trade complexities involving China and the potential for isolationism and protectionist policies from the new U.S. administration.

The opening panel of the Conference was about the topic that is on everyone’s mind: The results of the US and EU elections. The panellists agreed that there is a real danger that the US would adopt a more isolationist foreign policy, and that Trump’s victory will inspire authoritarian and illiberal leaders around the world.

The Belgrade Security Conference BSC 2024 is officially open!

The conference was opened by Srđan Cvijić, President of the International Advisory Committee of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy. His speech began with a reference to Gramschi who said that “The Old world is dying and the new world is struggling to be Born, and we are surrounded by monsters”. Mr Cvijić expressed that the monsters of our time are Autocracy, Nationalism and Polarisation, which cause the new generations to grow up in uncertainty. In response to this he asked us not to despair, and to use this last moment to rise up in the defence of humanity.