Where Have the Western Balkans Moved Closer to EU Living Standards?
26 November 2026 2:00 pm CET
Presentation of the 2026 Western Balkans Annual Convergence Report.
Venue
wiiw Library, Second Floor, Rahlgasse 3, 1060 Vienna, Austria
RegistrationDescription
At this event, we will present the 2026 Western Balkans Annual Convergence Report, which assesses quality of life across the region and the progress the six economies have made over the past year in catching up with EU living standards. Following the presentation, panellists from the region will discuss the findings and their implications for both the Western Balkans and the EU.
The report is prepared as part of the converge2eu project, which compares the six Western Balkan economies with the EU across eight key areas of daily life: the economy, social affairs, health, education, the environment, governance, digitalisation and infrastructure. It examines whether the countries are catching up with the EU and estimates how long it might take them to reach the EU average in each area under different EU accession scenarios.
The project is coordinated jointly with Think Europe and implemented in cooperation with six local partners, one from each Western Balkan economy. It is supported by the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans.
Agenda:
14:00–14:20: Opening and welcome words
Michael Landesmann, wiiw Scientific Director from 1996 to 2016
Opening Speeches:
Representative of the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans
14:20-14:40: Presentation of the 2026 Western Balkans Annual Convergence Report
Ana Milinković (wiiw)
14:40 – 16:00: Panel discussion with Q&A
Moderator: Zoran Nečev, Think Europe
Panelists:
Donika Emini, Founder and Director of d-square Think Tank
Vedran Džihić, Senior Researcher at the Austrian Institute for International Affairs and lecturer at the University of Vienna
Marko Kmezić, Lecturer and Senior Researcher at the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz
Branimir Jovanović, Economist at wiiw, covering the Western Balkans and serving as a country expert for North Macedonia and Serbia.