On 11 -13 of May Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation arranged a conference in Sarajevo in co-operation with PDP, one of the two Bosnian parties that the foundation works with. The participants were young candidates and campaign managers and the focus was on preparing for the local elections in October. The speaker was Oscar Öholm, MP, Kristoffer Tamsons, senior consultant at Hallvarsson & Halvarsson and Sebastian Tham, press secretary. (more…)
With almost 98 percent of the votes counted, social liberal incumbent Boris Tadić, Democratic Party (DS) received 25.33 percent of the votes, while ex-nationalist Tomislav Nikolić from Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) got 24.99 percent in the presidential elections on May 6, reported b92.net. It came as no surprise that these are the two rivals that will face each other in the second round on May 20. Serbia won EU candidate status in March and both parties favor EU-membership.
The presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) Vojislav Kostunica won 7.44 percent of the votes, while the candidate of the United Regions of Serbia (URS) Zoran Stankovic scored 6.56%, reported the Serbian government on its home page srbija.gov.rs. The Hajlmarson Foundation is cooperation with both these parties. (more…)
General, local and presidential elections will be held in Serbia on May 6. Single national lists will enable voters, for the first time, to cast ballots at any polling station in the country. In previous elections, Serbs could vote only at their registered place of residence. Some 70,000 Serbians have joined political parties since the beginning of this election year, taking the total over the 2-million barrier in the country of 7 million, reports balkaninsight.com. (more…)
Young Macedonian Politicians Promote EU Membership
February 16th, 2012 Education | Macedonia | The European Union
Young politicians from Macedinia visiting the Commission in Brussels.
Macedonia is one of the current candidates for a future EU membership. More than 85 percent of the population supports a membership in both EU and NATO. But before entering either of the two organizations, the sensitive naming dispute with Greece must be resolved.
As part of the EU integration project in the Balkans, the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation invited youth politicians from the party in power in Macedonia – VMRO-DPMNE – to a conference in Brussels, February 7-10, 2012.
The group of enthusiastic young politicians visited major EU Institutions such as the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
In the Parliament, they met with Anna-Maria Corazza Bildt, who described her work as a Member of Parliament. At the Commission, EU experts Willem Noë and Mark Corner summarized the history of the Union.
The participants’ key area of interest was, as is to be expected, the enlargement of the EU. The Macedonians were eager to receive information about when their country could become a member, but understandably no-one could give them anything but a general timetable for the process.
Moreover, discussions about membership were in focus during the meetings at the NATO headquarters. Due to security matters, Macedonia regards a NATO membership as even more important than a membership in the EU. In 2008 the country was ready to join the European/North American defense alliance, but was blocked by Greece.
“In our country, everyone discusses politics”, one of the participants said. 21 years have passed since declaring its independence and Macedonia is still in an extensive transition phase. However, one thing is clear: the wish to be part of Europe is one of the top priorities of the new generation.
SDA from Bosnia Visits Brussel and the EU
February 14th, 2012 Bosnia and Herzegovina | The European Union
Participants fron Bosnian SDA and Klas Hjort in front of the European Parliament.
On January 23-26 the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation organized a study visit of young politicians from Bosnia and the party SDA, to Brussels and the EU. The first daybegan with a much appreciated visit to the European Parliament. The participants met, among others, with Christina Lutz, Head of staff of the Moderate Party in Parliament. They also visited MEP Anna Maria Corazza Bildt who shared her experiences from the Balkans and the issues currently being discussed within the EU, including the financial crisis and family rights.The visit ended with a tour of Parliament led by Klas Hjort who works for MEP Christofer Fjellner of the Moderate Party. After an interesting morning in Parliament the afternoon was spent at the Commission, lerning about its role within the EU family.
On the second day’s morning, the Bosnian participants meet with the Bosnian Ambassador to the EU, Osman Topčagić, followed by a bus trip to NATO. Three meetings were planned at the NATO, the last one with Ambassador Branimir Jukic, who is Bosnia-Herzegovina’s ambassador to the NATO. The participants were highly interested in NATO and its activities. In the morning of the last day – before leaving Brussels in the afternoon – participants visited the Council of Europe and met Maria Sevdali who talked about how the Council operates, key policy issues and how it is to work with a rotating presidency.
Suzana Grubješić, Deputy Chaiman G17Plus, talking about the European Union.
On January 20 to 22 the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation organized a conference in cooperation with G17 Plus in Serbia. The theme was ”Political branding and EU integration”. The location of the conference was the city of Nis, about three hours’ journey from Belgrade. This was the last conference in a series of three parts.
The first day started with Klas Hjort, who works for Christopher Fjellner European Parliament, talking about how the EU works, how to influence and why Europe matters. In the afternoon of the first day Suzana Grubješić, who is deputy leader of G17Plus, paid a visit to the conference. She spoke about European integration from a Serbian perspective. (more…)
Croatia’s road to EU-membership – that is supposed to be realized on July 1, 2013 – has been lined with impediments and complex European context: enlargement fatigue within the EU, boarder conflict with Slovenia, a global financial crisis with repercussions to the EU and Croatia, just to mention a few. Still, a clear majority of the Croatians said yes to EU-membership in a referendum on January 22, 2012. “All the hardship makes this success even larger”, said Andrej Plenković, Croatian MP representing Hrvatska demokratska zajednica (HDZ). The HDZ-lead Government concluded Croatia’s accession negotiations in June 2011, at the end of the Hungarian EU Presidency.
(more…)
Successful evaluation in Bosnia
December 16th, 2011 Best practices | Bosnia and Herzegovina | The BalkansRepresentatives of the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation recently visited Bosnia to initiate an evaluation process of all projects on the Balkans managed by the Foundation. How does the cooperation work? What effects, if any, have been reached? What might be done in a different way? Following two days of meetings and discussions the conclusion was obvious: members of the PDP are convinced that the cooperation with the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation is a positive force on numerous levels.
Close to the border between Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina lies the village Gradiška. The houses along the main street look like houses in any village in Central- and Southern Europe. That is, if it wasn’t for the bullet holes that serve a reminder that this village is not like any other village. This was recently a war zone. From 1992 to 1995, this part of Europe was haunted by a civil war between Serbs, Muslims and Croats, a war ended with the Dayton agreement. The conflict in Bosnia started with the collapse of the former Yugoslavia, with the result that more than 250 000 people were killed and 1.6 million were forced to leave their homes. Still today the memories of the war are part of everyday life in the constituent republic of Srpska and its capital Banja Luka. (more…)
Croatia New EU-member 2013 – and Serbia to Start Talks about Membership
October 17th, 2011 Articles | Croatia | Serbia | The European UnionIn a report issued on October 12, the EU Commission stated “that Croatia meets the political criteria and [the Commission] expects Croatia to meet the economic and acquis criteria and to be ready for membership by 1 July 2013.” At the same time the Commission recommended that the Council grant Serbia the status of candidate and give green light for accession negotiations with Montenegro.
In a set of annual reports – issue on October 12, 2011 – the Commission informed on the progress towards EU accession made by the Western Balkans, Turkey, and Iceland over the past year. (more…)
Apart from the seminars, the Hjalmarson Foundation also arranges casual discussions in the JHS Stand.
Walburga Habsburg Douglas, MP, talked about the past and current situation in the Balkans, and made som wishes for the future of the Balkan countries. Habsburg Douglas is the author of the preface of the book “Balkan Blend”, published by JHS. (more…)
Finally – Ratko Mladic Arrested
May 26th, 2011 Articles | Foreign Policy | Serbia | The Balkans | The European UnionToday’s arrest of the Bosnian Serb wartime military leader Ratko Mladic is welcomed by numerous leaders in the international community. Ratko Mladic was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on 25 July 1995 and was a fugitive from justice for almost 16 years. “Ratko Mladic has been the most wanted ICTY fugitive and his arrest is proof of the readiness of state to fulfill all international obligations as well as those of domestic law ” said Suzana Grubješiæ, Vice President of G17 PLUS – a sisterparty of the JHS. She added that all those accused of the worst war crimes must be brought to justice.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, welcomed the arrest of Bosnian Serb wartime military leader Ratko Mladic as a very important step for justice and regional reconciliation. So did Jerzy Buzek, the President of the European Parliament saying:
“I welcome the arrest of Ratko Mladic and congratulate the Serbian authorities. The arrest is good news for Serbia, for the stability of the region and gives new impetus to Serbia’s EU accession process. His arrest is convincing proof of Serbia’s efforts and cooperation with the ICTY.” (more…)
Conference on the Developments in the Balkans
May 14th, 2011 Albania | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Croatia | Macedonia | Seminars | Serbia | The Balkans | The European Union
Oskar Öholm greeting Nicola Lazic. Flaked by Stefan Dragojevic, Kire Ilioski and Jens Ahl.
On May 13-14, 2011, the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation organized a round-table conference with leaders from cooperation partners in the Balkans. The conference focused on the continued integration of the Balkan states into Europe as well as other aspects of the European Union.
“The Countries in the Balkans have to push for membership. The EU never invites anyone to join,” said Walburga Habsburg Douglas, MP and member of the Hjalmarson Foundation board. Her view was shared by the participants. (more…)
An anthology about and beyond the political scene in the Balkan
In this anthology eight different stories are told about the past and present – but most of all about hopes for the future. The authors are: Mart Laar, Minister of Defence, Estonia, Antonio Milošoski, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Macedonia, Dragan Velikic, Serbian writer and former Ambassador, Slavenka Drakulic, Croat writer, Gerald Knaus, founder of the European Stability Initiative, Terezija Prskalo, advisor to the Foreign Minister of Croatia, Christian Wehrschütz, Austrian Balkan and, Mladen Ivanic, Chairman of the PDP of Republica Srpska, Bosnia
Release of a New Book: Balkan Blend
May 12th, 2011 Seminars | The Balkans | The European Union | Uncategorized
The anthology was discussed following a presentation of the book made by MP Walburga Habsburg Douglas.
The authors in Balkan Blend, a new anthology published by the Hjalmarson Foundation, all describe – from their different views – the advantages of an EU membership for the Balkan countries. The book does not give any final answers and the views sometimes go apart, for instance in regards to the Kossovar independence.
An audience of about 40 people attended the release of the book <i>Balkan Blend – The Road to Renewal/i> on May 12. After a few words of welcome from the Chairman of the Foundation, Göran Lennmarker, Walburga Habsburg Douglas, MP and a Hjalmarson Foundation board member, gave a brief introduction to the eight texts in the book. “The anthology does not present any consensus opinion and the views sometimes differ,” Walburga Habsburg Douglas noted. She explained that all the writers, from their different views, describe the advantages of an EU membership for the Balkan countries. “I hope this presentation will encourage you to delve further into this book,” Walburga Habsburg Douglas summarized. (more…)
SDA from Bosnia visited EU
January 29th, 2011 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Education | The European UnionJanuary 25-28 the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation organized a study trip to Brussels for a group of young politicians from the Party for Democratic Action, SDA, from Bosnia.
The program included visits to the European Commission, European Parliament, European People’s Party and NATO. Participants also had the opportunity to meet and talk the to the Bos
nian Ambassador to the EU. In the European Parliament the group met with the Swedish MP’s Anna Ibrisagic and Christopher Fjellner, who both spoke about various aspects of their work in Brussels and their home regions. The participants were happy with the visit and explained that it is of great importance to gain a deeper understanding of, as well as the opportunity to discuss, Bosnia’s relations with the European Union and NATO.
In the photo: Christofer Fjellner, MP, when meeting with the SDA representatives.
80-90 percent of Macedonians is for the EU and also NATO membership, said Vasko Naumovski, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs in the Macedonian government when he, on November 17, spoke at a breakfast meeting arranged by Hjalmarson Foundation. Vasko Naumovski spoke in reference to the European Commission’s annual Enlargement package, presented on 8 November, and the progress made in Macedonia. “Sweden welcomes the accession negotiations with Macedonia,” said the Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt at the time when the EU report was released.
A group of diplomats and moderate members of Parliament were invited to listen to Vasko Naumovskis views on EU membership. The picture he gave was multifaceted. On the one hand, the Macedonian progress is mainly in the political sphere, on the other hand, Greece still stalling the membership negotiations. This applies to the name Macedonia, which also is the name of a province in Greece:
“It is as if Russia would oppose Europe called Europe since much of Europe is in Russia. Or that Moldova can not be called Moldova since there is a province in Romania with the same name”, said Vasko Naumovski. When asked what the name issue means for ordinary people in Macedonia, he replied: “In opinion polls 80 percent of the respondents answer that national identity is more important than membership in the EU and NATO.”
Vasko Naumovski added that he and his government is certainly willing to compromise to resolve the name issue; to overcome this obstacle to EU membership. And by the way, he said, this was already done in 1995 when Macedonia changed its flag. He was cautiously optimistic, explaining that today the Prime Ministers of both countries meet to talk. This was unthinkable just a few years ago. Nothing concrete has yet come out of this. ”But of course we are willing to compromise!”
Visa Free for Albania and Bosnien Herzegovina
November 8th, 2010 Albania | Articles | Bosnia and Herzegovina | The European UnionCitizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina possessing biometric passports will be able to travel without visa to the Schengen area.
This decision will enter into force the day following the publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. “The visa-free regime is the best proof that reforms at home bring tangible benefits for citizens and progress in relations with the EU. We can build on this in order to further the reforms needed to bring the two countries closer to their European aspirations”, said Mr Štefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy. With this decision, the two countries join the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia who have already benefitted from the visa free regime since 19 December 2009.
High Level Conference about the Balkans and the EU
May 8th, 2010 Albania | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Croatia | Macedonia | Seminars | Serbia | The European Union
Standing are Minister for Foreign Affairs Antonio Milošoski from Makedonien (to the left) and Genc Pollo, Minister for Innovation and ICT in Albanien.
May 7-8, the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation arranged a round table conference on the EU integration of the Balkan countries. The participants were high level politicians from the Foundation’s sister parties in four Balkan states. The group consisted of some 20 politicians including two ministers – the Macedonian Minister for Foreign Affairs Antonio Milošoski and Genc Pollo, Albanian Minister for Innovation and ICT.
Among the issues discussed at the conference were membership and security in the Balkan region. Göran Lennmarker, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the Foundation, reminded the participants that although the path to a membership may seem endless to the Balkan countries, the situation was once the same for the Baltic states. Today, those countries are all EU-members.
Numerous participants noted that Sweden is the most enlargement-friendly member of the Union. In addition, they emphasized that this, the third Balkan conference arranged by the Foundation, constituted an excellent opportunity to “openly discuss problems and exchange experiences among friends”.
The participants discussed obstacles on the path to full EU membership – such as bilateral conflicts. Nevertheless, the participants agreed that there is indeed a development in the right direction.
- Since we met last time, we have achieved visa freedom for, for example, Serbians, said Nikola Lazic, Serbian parliamentarian and International Secretary for the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS).
The participating parties where Albanian Partia Demokratike e Shqipërisë, Bosnian Partija Demokratskog Progresa and Stranka Demokratske, VMRO-DPMNE from Macedonia and Serbian Demokratska Stranka Srbije and G17Plus.
New Embassies in the Balkans and the Caucasus
January 21st, 2010 Articles | Caucasus | News | The BalkansThe Swedish government has decided to strengthen the Swedish presence in the Caucasus and in the Balkans. Today it was decided that the current offices in Pristina (Kosovo), Tbilisi (Georgia), Chisinau (Moldova) and Tirana (Albania), that up until this point have been administered from neighboring embassies, will be upgraded to embassies.
In Western Africa, offices will also be turned into embassies in Bamako (Mali), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and in Monrovia (Liberia). The same goes for the office in Kigali (Rwanda), La Paz (Bolivia), and in Phnom Penh (Cambodia). Along with this decision the Swedish government has decided that the embassies in Bratislava, Dakar, Dublin, Ljubljana, Luxemburg and in Sofia will be closed.
- Within the framework of close cooperation between the EU member states, there are great possibilities to develop new ways of bilateral contacts in the future, says the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt in a comment published by the Foreign Ministry.
- To turn the Secretariats’ into embassies is a step towards, supporting the Swedish development efforts within certain countries. It is also a step on the road to further strengthening our long-term cooperation with these countries. A stronger presence is crucial for an effective collaboration with superior results, according to Gunilla Carlsson, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation.
Visa Liberalization in the Balkans, A Success for Europe
December 14th, 2009 Articles | Macedonia | Serbia | The Balkans
After almost two decades of isolation, it is great news that citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia are able to travel without a visa to the Schengen zone, starting December 19, 2009, writes Gerald Knaus, founder and chairman of the European Stability Initiative (ESI).
A Serbian airline promptly offered promotional flights to Schengen countries under the slogan “Europe for all of us”, told Knaus and added “This is a much needed success for friends of Europe across the region”. In the 1990s, Europe underwent a fundamental transformation: in the East democracy and market economy replaced communist dictatorships and the continent began to grow together once again.
The political reunification culminated in the abolition of border controls: the Schengen Area now includes most of Central Europe. During this period, the citizens of the Western Balkans had a very different experience. Yugoslavia fell apart. War, displacement and economic hardship became a daily routine. Sanctions busting and the smuggling of arms, drugs and people all flourished. The people of Albania fared only slightly better, their country descending into chaos in 1997. For outsiders, the Balkans became synonymous with refugees and crime. To close borders and to restrict travel through visa requirements was a natural response for the EU. The citizens of former Yugoslavia, accustomed to free travel, suddenly found themselves confined. (more…)
Exporting EU-Education, is the headline in the December issue of Medborgaren, the member magazine published by Moderaterna. It tells the story about the Jarl Hjalmarsons Foundation tailoring education in cooperation with its sister party in Croatia.
