Dragoș Ioniță
@dragosionita.bsky.social
Researcher of Europeanization and #EUenlargement in the #WesternBalkans; MA in Diplomacy and International Negotiations at #SNSPA Bucharest
#Balkan Region enthusiast
Publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dragos-Ionita-6
#Balkan Region enthusiast
Publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dragos-Ionita-6
"In the #Netherlands, it is difficult to get everyone to agree on the idea that #Serbia, #Kosovo, #NorthMacedonia & #BosniaHerzegovina are in the waiting room. And that countries like #Albania & #Montenegro are swiftly making progress."
www.iss.europa.eu/publications...
www.iss.europa.eu/publications...
However difficult to sell, the EU must get bigger
Trial membership or gradual accession: the EU needs new ideas to make enlargement work. We need political creativity to implement what is a geopolitical necessity.
www.iss.europa.eu
November 12, 2025 at 1:21 PM
"In the #Netherlands, it is difficult to get everyone to agree on the idea that #Serbia, #Kosovo, #NorthMacedonia & #BosniaHerzegovina are in the waiting room. And that countries like #Albania & #Montenegro are swiftly making progress."
www.iss.europa.eu/publications...
www.iss.europa.eu/publications...
Authorities in #Romania have arrested a former senator for allegedly attempting to offer a €1 million bribe to the country’s defense minister to facilitate an arms deal that could be fraudulently financed by a EU program.
www.rferl.org/a/suspect-ar...
www.rferl.org/a/suspect-ar...
Former Romanian Senator Detained Over Alleged $1.1 Million Bribe in Arms Deal Scheme
Authorities in Romania have arrested a former senator for allegedly attempting to offer a 1 million-euro ($1.16 million) bribe to the country’s defense minister to facilitate an arms deal that could b...
www.rferl.org
November 12, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Authorities in #Romania have arrested a former senator for allegedly attempting to offer a €1 million bribe to the country’s defense minister to facilitate an arms deal that could be fraudulently financed by a EU program.
www.rferl.org/a/suspect-ar...
www.rferl.org/a/suspect-ar...
Lukoil owns the Burgas refinery on the Black Sea coast as well as most of #Bulgaria’s storage & pipeline infrastructure. The chairman of the state reserves agency declared that gasoline supplies were sufficient for 35 days while diesel reserves stood at 50 days.
tvpworld.com/89961764/bul...
tvpworld.com/89961764/bul...
Bulgaria running low on fuel ahead of Lukoil sanctions
Parliament approved a state takeover of the Lukoil-owned Burgas refinery last week.
tvpworld.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Lukoil owns the Burgas refinery on the Black Sea coast as well as most of #Bulgaria’s storage & pipeline infrastructure. The chairman of the state reserves agency declared that gasoline supplies were sufficient for 35 days while diesel reserves stood at 50 days.
tvpworld.com/89961764/bul...
tvpworld.com/89961764/bul...
This December, #NorthMacedonia will mark its 20th anniversary of gaining candidate status for EU membership. What was once a moment of national triumph has, over the years, become a symbol of endurance and growing disillusionment.
www.intellinews.com/balkan-blog-...
www.intellinews.com/balkan-blog-...
BALKAN BLOG: North Macedonia’s 20-year wait to join the EU
This December, North Macedonia will mark its 20th anniversary of gaining candidate status for European Union membership. Two decades later, the ...
www.intellinews.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:07 PM
This December, #NorthMacedonia will mark its 20th anniversary of gaining candidate status for EU membership. What was once a moment of national triumph has, over the years, become a symbol of endurance and growing disillusionment.
www.intellinews.com/balkan-blog-...
www.intellinews.com/balkan-blog-...
"In Russian propaganda, #Serbia is always a chess piece – never a partner. It is no coincidence that the Kremlin’s spokesperson resembles a propaganda commissar more than a diplomat."
www.kyivpost.com/opinion/63962
www.kyivpost.com/opinion/63962
Opinion: Serbia Has Had Enough of Russia’s Patronizing Attitude
Maria Zakharova and the limits of humiliation by Russia of Serbia.
www.kyivpost.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:40 PM
"In Russian propaganda, #Serbia is always a chess piece – never a partner. It is no coincidence that the Kremlin’s spokesperson resembles a propaganda commissar more than a diplomat."
www.kyivpost.com/opinion/63962
www.kyivpost.com/opinion/63962
#Romania's media ecosystem has developed its own alternative news networks and channels that spread anti-EU narratives, combined with apocalyptic news, conspiracies, pro-Kremlin narratives, neo-fascist content, Dacian mythology etc.
www.disinfo.eu/publications...
www.disinfo.eu/publications...
The disinformation landscape in Romania - EU DisinfoLab
Find out more about the disinformation landscape in Romania.
www.disinfo.eu
November 11, 2025 at 12:29 PM
#Romania's media ecosystem has developed its own alternative news networks and channels that spread anti-EU narratives, combined with apocalyptic news, conspiracies, pro-Kremlin narratives, neo-fascist content, Dacian mythology etc.
www.disinfo.eu/publications...
www.disinfo.eu/publications...
Anti-Turk protests in #Montenegro have added to rising tensions between #Serbia and #Türkiye. The unrest was set off by anger over Ankara’s sale of weapons to #Kosovo, and growing fears of Turkish influence in the Balkans.
www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/...
www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/...
International report - Montenegro protests expose fragile balance in Serbia-Turkey relations
Anti-Turk protests in Montenegro have added to rising tensions between Serbia and Turkey. The unrest was set off by anger over Ankara’s sale of weapons to Kosovo, and growing fears of Turkish influenc...
www.rfi.fr
November 11, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Anti-Turk protests in #Montenegro have added to rising tensions between #Serbia and #Türkiye. The unrest was set off by anger over Ankara’s sale of weapons to #Kosovo, and growing fears of Turkish influence in the Balkans.
www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/...
www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/...
The majority of young people in #NorthMacedonia have a positive perception of the European Union, but nearly half do not believe that their country will ever become a member of the organization.
euronews.al/en/north-mac...
euronews.al/en/north-mac...
North Macedonia’s Youth Support the EU but Remain Pessimistic About Membership - Euronews Albania
The majority of young people in North Macedonia have a positive perception of the European Union, but nearly half do not believe that their country will ever become a member of the EU. These findings ...
euronews.al
November 11, 2025 at 7:17 AM
The majority of young people in #NorthMacedonia have a positive perception of the European Union, but nearly half do not believe that their country will ever become a member of the organization.
euronews.al/en/north-mac...
euronews.al/en/north-mac...
The 2025 #EUenlargement package redraws the map of EU aspirants – not by geography, but by momentum. Some have turned promise into performance; others remain mired in political and institutional deadlock.
www.iss.europa.eu/publications...
www.iss.europa.eu/publications...
The 2025 enlargement package signals a shift from rhetoric to resolve – at least for some
The 2025 enlargement package revives optimism about EU expansion, yet deferred reforms and political hesitation among Member States threaten to stall progress — testing the Union’s readiness as much a...
www.iss.europa.eu
November 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
The 2025 #EUenlargement package redraws the map of EU aspirants – not by geography, but by momentum. Some have turned promise into performance; others remain mired in political and institutional deadlock.
www.iss.europa.eu/publications...
www.iss.europa.eu/publications...
Under siege by mass protests over the past year, #Serbia’s government has drawn support from a crew of convicts and suspected criminals who have confronted demonstrators — sometimes using physical violence.
www.occrp.org/en/news/conv...
www.occrp.org/en/news/conv...
Convicts Among Serbian Gov’t Supporters Facing Off Against Protesters
OCCRP’s Serbian member center, KRIK, has profiled more than a dozen people opposing anti-government demonstrators. Some of these government supporters have also been convicted or investigated for seri...
www.occrp.org
November 10, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Under siege by mass protests over the past year, #Serbia’s government has drawn support from a crew of convicts and suspected criminals who have confronted demonstrators — sometimes using physical violence.
www.occrp.org/en/news/conv...
www.occrp.org/en/news/conv...
Three experts discuss #Romania’s role in #NATO and #BlackSea security, its defense investments, and plans to address strategic infrastructure challenges that have far-reaching significance for the alliance.
tiesthatbind.substack.com/p/on-the-coa...
tiesthatbind.substack.com/p/on-the-coa...
On the Coasts of Conflict
Season 2, Episode 2 | Perspectives from Romania
tiesthatbind.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Three experts discuss #Romania’s role in #NATO and #BlackSea security, its defense investments, and plans to address strategic infrastructure challenges that have far-reaching significance for the alliance.
tiesthatbind.substack.com/p/on-the-coa...
tiesthatbind.substack.com/p/on-the-coa...
A new @bezbednost.bsky.social policy brief analyses #Serbia’s deepest political & institutional turmoil in over a decade, rooted in systemic corruption, impunity & the erosion of public trust, while outlining 4 possible scenarios and outcomes.
bezbednost.org/en/publicati...
bezbednost.org/en/publicati...
Political and Institutional Crisis in Serbia: Possible Scenarios (November 2025 – June 2026) - Beogradski centar za bezbednosnu politiku
The BCSP policy brief “Political and Institutional Crisis in Serbia: Possible Scenarios (November 2025 – June 2026)” analyses the country’s deepest political and institutional turmoil in over a decade...
bezbednost.org
November 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
A new @bezbednost.bsky.social policy brief analyses #Serbia’s deepest political & institutional turmoil in over a decade, rooted in systemic corruption, impunity & the erosion of public trust, while outlining 4 possible scenarios and outcomes.
bezbednost.org/en/publicati...
bezbednost.org/en/publicati...
#Romania and #Bulgaria are racing against time to stop their critical oil refineries from shutdowns before US sanctions on their Russian owners kick in later this month.
www.politico.eu/article/roma...
www.politico.eu/article/roma...
Romania and Bulgaria scramble to protect Russian refineries as Trump sanctions loom
Both countries are mulling sanctions extension requests for their Lukoil-owned facilities. But deeper problems lie ahead.
www.politico.eu
November 8, 2025 at 1:11 PM
#Romania and #Bulgaria are racing against time to stop their critical oil refineries from shutdowns before US sanctions on their Russian owners kick in later this month.
www.politico.eu/article/roma...
www.politico.eu/article/roma...
MPs in #Serbia adopted a 'lex specialis' to speed up the redevelopment of the former Yugoslav Army headquarters in Belgrade, bombed by NATO in 1999 - an investment project involving Jared Kushner's company.
balkaninsight.com/2025/11/07/s...
balkaninsight.com/2025/11/07/s...
Serbia Adopts Law Fast-Tracking Kushner Development at Bombed Army HQ
MPs adopted a 'lex specialis' to speed up the redevelopment of the former Yugoslav Army headquarters in Belgrade, bombed by NATO in 1999 - an investment project involving Jared Kushner's company.
balkaninsight.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:11 PM
MPs in #Serbia adopted a 'lex specialis' to speed up the redevelopment of the former Yugoslav Army headquarters in Belgrade, bombed by NATO in 1999 - an investment project involving Jared Kushner's company.
balkaninsight.com/2025/11/07/s...
balkaninsight.com/2025/11/07/s...
CSOs in #Serbia respond to the 2025 Enlargement Report:
- Free & fair elections under full international observation;
- An end to repression & restoration of fundamental rights;
- A stronger, more principled EU role in defending democracy in Serbia.
More: www.linkedin.com/posts/tjasaf...
- Free & fair elections under full international observation;
- An end to repression & restoration of fundamental rights;
- A stronger, more principled EU role in defending democracy in Serbia.
More: www.linkedin.com/posts/tjasaf...
Serbian CSO Response to the 2025 Enlargement Report | Tjaša Feher
The European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Report on Serbia sends a clear message: democracy, media freedom, and the rule of law are not just stagnating, they’re deteriorating.
Repression of citizens...
www.linkedin.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:32 PM
CSOs in #Serbia respond to the 2025 Enlargement Report:
- Free & fair elections under full international observation;
- An end to repression & restoration of fundamental rights;
- A stronger, more principled EU role in defending democracy in Serbia.
More: www.linkedin.com/posts/tjasaf...
- Free & fair elections under full international observation;
- An end to repression & restoration of fundamental rights;
- A stronger, more principled EU role in defending democracy in Serbia.
More: www.linkedin.com/posts/tjasaf...
President Aleksandar Vučić noted today that the decision made by #Serbia's National Security Council in 2022 not to impose sanctions against Russia may be changed by officials in Belgrade.
There's a big step between 'may be changed' to 'will be changed'....
unn.ua/en/news/serb...
There's a big step between 'may be changed' to 'will be changed'....
unn.ua/en/news/serb...
Serbia does not guarantee further refusal to impose sanctions against Russia
УНН Politics ✎ Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that the decision not to impose sanctions against Russia could be reconsidered. The
government has the right…
unn.ua
November 7, 2025 at 5:23 PM
President Aleksandar Vučić noted today that the decision made by #Serbia's National Security Council in 2022 not to impose sanctions against Russia may be changed by officials in Belgrade.
There's a big step between 'may be changed' to 'will be changed'....
unn.ua/en/news/serb...
There's a big step between 'may be changed' to 'will be changed'....
unn.ua/en/news/serb...
In #Albania, the lack of an ecosystem of civic organizing, weak universities, non-existent unions, and limited media coverage have led to protests being seen more as the outbreak of a revolt than a process of civic engagement.
citizens.al/en/2025/11/0...
citizens.al/en/2025/11/0...
A parallel with Serbia – Is it more common to "put pressure" on the authorities? - Citizens.al
In Serbia, protests are reclaiming the square as a political space. In Albania, these spaces have become decorations controlled by the government. What symbolism lies behind the “urban silence”?
citizens.al
November 7, 2025 at 5:10 PM
In #Albania, the lack of an ecosystem of civic organizing, weak universities, non-existent unions, and limited media coverage have led to protests being seen more as the outbreak of a revolt than a process of civic engagement.
citizens.al/en/2025/11/0...
citizens.al/en/2025/11/0...
"To have real impact, the Commission’s change of tone must be translated into public communications and engagement strategies with the leadership of #Serbia. Only then can the EU begin to rebuild credibility and encourage meaningful reform."
www.epc.eu/publication/...
www.epc.eu/publication/...
A turning point in the EU’s approach to Serbia?
The Commission also criticises the persistent anti-EU rhetoric used by Serbian political leaders and echoed by aligned media, noting that this contradicts Serbia’s declared strategic goal of EU membership.
www.epc.eu
November 7, 2025 at 7:25 AM
"To have real impact, the Commission’s change of tone must be translated into public communications and engagement strategies with the leadership of #Serbia. Only then can the EU begin to rebuild credibility and encourage meaningful reform."
www.epc.eu/publication/...
www.epc.eu/publication/...
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk urged the authorities in #Serbia to speed up steps to ensure accountability one year after the deadly train station collapse that sparked the country’s biggest protests in decades.
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
Serbian authorities need to speed up steps to ensure accountability - UN Human Rights Chief
GENEVA – A year after a deadly canopy collapse at a train station in Serbia set off a wave of student-led protests, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged renewed efforts to ensure ac...
www.ohchr.org
November 7, 2025 at 7:25 AM
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk urged the authorities in #Serbia to speed up steps to ensure accountability one year after the deadly train station collapse that sparked the country’s biggest protests in decades.
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
#Serbia’s political stability in 2026 will be achievable only through accountability, institutional renewal and a clear commitment to dialogue.
The country can achieve a return to “normal life” only if politics truly begins to serve its citizens.
www.ifimes.org/en/researche...
The country can achieve a return to “normal life” only if politics truly begins to serve its citizens.
www.ifimes.org/en/researche...
Serbia 2025: Restoring political stability
Serbia’s political stability in 2025 and 2026 will be achievable only through accountability, institutional renewal and a clear commitment to dialogue. The key points of this process include: restorin...
www.ifimes.org
November 7, 2025 at 7:24 AM
#Serbia’s political stability in 2026 will be achievable only through accountability, institutional renewal and a clear commitment to dialogue.
The country can achieve a return to “normal life” only if politics truly begins to serve its citizens.
www.ifimes.org/en/researche...
The country can achieve a return to “normal life” only if politics truly begins to serve its citizens.
www.ifimes.org/en/researche...
#Bulgaria and #NorthMacedonia signed an agreement on Railway Corridor VIII, a key EU-supported project under the #GlobalGateway and part of the Trans-European Transport Network.
enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/europea...
enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/europea...
European Commission welcomes agreement on Railway Corridor VIII between Bulgaria and North Macedonia
Today, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, represented, respectively, by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transpo...
enlargement.ec.europa.eu
November 7, 2025 at 7:23 AM
#Bulgaria and #NorthMacedonia signed an agreement on Railway Corridor VIII, a key EU-supported project under the #GlobalGateway and part of the Trans-European Transport Network.
enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/europea...
enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/europea...
The European Commission has decided to suspend part of #Bulgaria’s second payment under the Recovery & Resilience Plan, amounting to €214,544,232, citing Sofia’s failure to carry out a key anti-corruption reform aimed at creating an independent oversight body.
www.novinite.com/view_news.ph...
www.novinite.com/view_news.ph...
It's Official: Brussels Freezes €214 Million Payment to Bulgaria Over Flawed Anti-Corruption Reform - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency
The European Commission has formally decided to suspend part of Bulgaria’s second payment under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, amounting to 214,544,232 euros, citing the country’s failure to carry ...
www.novinite.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:23 AM
The European Commission has decided to suspend part of #Bulgaria’s second payment under the Recovery & Resilience Plan, amounting to €214,544,232, citing Sofia’s failure to carry out a key anti-corruption reform aimed at creating an independent oversight body.
www.novinite.com/view_news.ph...
www.novinite.com/view_news.ph...
Just hours after #Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić denied the existence of the “Serbian World” project, his closest ally, Aleksandar Vulin, declared the opposite - he insisted the “Serbian World” is an inevitable reality.
eualive.net/vucic-ally-a...
eualive.net/vucic-ally-a...
Vučić ally adds fuel to the fire as ‘Serbian World’ doctrine sparks tensions
Just hours after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić denied the existence of the “Serbian World” project, ...
eualive.net
November 6, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Just hours after #Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić denied the existence of the “Serbian World” project, his closest ally, Aleksandar Vulin, declared the opposite - he insisted the “Serbian World” is an inevitable reality.
eualive.net/vucic-ally-a...
eualive.net/vucic-ally-a...
- Can #Kosovo’s institutions hold under pressure?
- What does the return of Serbs in the four northern municipalities mean?
- How do we move on from a year marked by political crises & what’s at stake for the future?
A new @biepag.bsky.social Talk offers answers👇
open.spotify.com/episode/73oA...
- What does the return of Serbs in the four northern municipalities mean?
- How do we move on from a year marked by political crises & what’s at stake for the future?
A new @biepag.bsky.social Talk offers answers👇
open.spotify.com/episode/73oA...
Kosovo on the Edge: Democracy, Deadlock, and Geopolitics
open.spotify.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:38 PM
- Can #Kosovo’s institutions hold under pressure?
- What does the return of Serbs in the four northern municipalities mean?
- How do we move on from a year marked by political crises & what’s at stake for the future?
A new @biepag.bsky.social Talk offers answers👇
open.spotify.com/episode/73oA...
- What does the return of Serbs in the four northern municipalities mean?
- How do we move on from a year marked by political crises & what’s at stake for the future?
A new @biepag.bsky.social Talk offers answers👇
open.spotify.com/episode/73oA...
"Romania shows for how far Trump’s America will go to support its ideological allies.. Even after the election, divisions in #Romania are acute, and public anger against political elites is likely to grow."
A country-by-country @ecfrafrica.bsky.social analysis
ecfr.eu/publication/...
A country-by-country @ecfrafrica.bsky.social analysis
ecfr.eu/publication/...
Reality show: Why Europe must not cave in Trump’s culture war
In today’s transatlantic relationship, Europe’s every concession on policy plays into Trump’s culture war—feeding an image of European weakness…
ecfr.eu
November 6, 2025 at 8:06 AM
"Romania shows for how far Trump’s America will go to support its ideological allies.. Even after the election, divisions in #Romania are acute, and public anger against political elites is likely to grow."
A country-by-country @ecfrafrica.bsky.social analysis
ecfr.eu/publication/...
A country-by-country @ecfrafrica.bsky.social analysis
ecfr.eu/publication/...