The Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe hosted a closed-door exchange with administrative staff from the parliaments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, who are fellows of the Western Balkans Fellowship Programme of the Austrian Parliament. The programme is carried out in cooperation with the European Fund for the Balkans and gives participants the opportunity to engage with a range of governmental and non-governmental institutions in Austria and beyond. 

As part of this exchange, the fellows and their colleagues from the Austrian Parliament visited the IDM to learn more about our work and our perspective on the region. The IDM was represented by Director Sebastian Schäffer, Research Associate Péter Techet and Research Assistant Elena Marko. 

The visit began with an introduction to the IDM and our “5 Ps” framework, which guided a discussion on the region, EU enlargement, the accession process and other topics of shared interest. It was a valuable opportunity to exchange views with professionals who work at the heart of parliamentary administration and decision-making in their respective countries. 

We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this programme and to continue building dialogue with partners from across the Western Balkans. These exchanges are an important part of our work and reflect the IDM’s commitment to fostering informed discussion on regional cooperation and European integration.