At the international conference DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: HORIZONS OF FREEDOM, Admir Lisica, Director of the Center for Geopolitical Research “Geopol” (Bosnia and Herzegovina), addressed the broader challenge of Europe’s internal divisions and external threats with a strong geopolitical message: Europe is facing a decisive choice between strengthening unity and democracy or risking the emergence of a new Ukraine in the Western Balkans.
In his intervention, Lisica emphasized that the rise of far-right politics, religious radicalism, and Islamophobia—combined with malign Russian influence—has deeply affected both EU member states and candidate countries. He warned that Russia’s strategy in the Balkans, particularly through proxy actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region, seeks to exploit ethnic divisions, undermine democratic institutions, and block Euro-Atlantic integration. Lisica argued that only firm European engagement, democratic support, and the acceleration of NATO and EU integration—especially for Bosnia and Herzegovina—can prevent further destabilization and secure lasting peace in Europe:
Today’s Europe is facing numerous challenges. In my opinion, Europe appears quite divided. This situation is influenced by the continuous rise of right-wing policies, Christian radicalism, Islamophobia, and mutual misunderstanding. Right-wing rigid policies are no longer a phenomenon seen only in traditionally right-wing societies like Hungary, Slovakia, or Poland; we now see this phenomenon in liberal societies such as Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
Today, during Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, we are also facing malign Russian influence in European regions such as the Western Balkans. Specifically, within Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, but also here in North Macedonia. Russia is trying, through its proxies—Serbian politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as official Serbia—to complicate relations in the region, which would directly reflect on the rest of Europe.
I fear that Europe does not sufficiently understand that it needs to direct its capacities toward strengthening democracy in the Balkan countries. For example, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosniaks are often targeted by various Serbian and Croatian lobbyists who create false propaganda narratives directed against Bosniak Muslims, to whom they want to attribute radicalism that does not exist. Throughout history, Bosniak Muslims have protected their Jewish neighbors during World War II, during the Ottoman conquests, but also during the last Serbian aggression against Bosnia.
Europe should know how important Bosniaks are for European society and democracy, and instead of allowing their dehumanization, Bosniaks as a European people must be further strengthened. Such a situation makes it easier for Russia to exert influence in the Balkans. That is why Europe must support all of us who are fighting for the European perspective, entry into the EU, and entry into NATO.
If we want peace in the coming years in Europe, the number one geopolitical decision would be Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entry into NATO. In this way, Europe would help not only Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the entire Western Balkans, as well as Europe itself! If Europe does not want a new Ukraine in the Balkans, it must more strongly support the countries where Russia wants to establish its own sphere of influence.
Today, we can say that it is necessary to promote ideas of unity, not division. We must also develop mutual trust and strengthen cooperation, where I certainly see room for improvement. Finally, it is important that Europe understands the geopolitical position of countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, which have had and still have many problems with external malign influences.
This article and refined transcript were prepared by the author with AI-assisted language refinement and editorial support. The content remains fully faithful to the original video address. All responsibility for interpretation and publication rests with the author.
Watch the full video from the conference: