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Kapetanović: People in the Balkans are not looking for miracles, but results
2025-12-11 17:38:26 / POLITIKË
The Balkan Barometer is the RCC's annual public and business opinion survey that has been conducted since 2015.
Brussels, 11 December 2025 – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) today launched the Balkans Barometer 2025 in Brussels, publishing the most comprehensive regional overview of public and business perceptions in the Western Balkans. This year’s findings show a significant increase in optimism for EU integration, strong support for regional cooperation and clear expectations for economic progress.
“This year, the citizens of the Western Balkans are sending a clear message: when there is real progress, so does trust. Support for EU integration is at a record high, while trust in regional cooperation remains consistently strong. People recognize the value of practical results – from fewer barriers and lower costs, to better connectivity and new opportunities for young people and businesses. Our responsibility is to maintain this momentum and turn it into concrete reforms and tangible benefits for everyone in the region,” said Amer Kapetanović, Secretary General of the RCC.
According to the results, an average of 64% of Western Balkan citizens support EU membership, the highest level recorded since 2015 and a 10% increase compared to last year. Rising prices and inflation remain the main concern for 66% of citizens; however, according to a new question included this year, 64% of citizens believe that regional cooperation can improve the economic situation. Businesses also report concrete benefits from deeper regional integration, including reduced operating costs as a result of the roaming-free regime and the expected benefits of traveling in the region with just an ID card. The outlook of young people shows both concern and hope: while 68% of young people are considering working or living abroad (half temporarily and half permanently), 71% believe that EU membership would be good for their economy – the highest level of confidence among young people in the last five years.
“I want to emphasize that this conversation is taking place at the most opportune moment. Next week, EU and Western Balkan leaders will gather here in Brussels. The timing is not symbolic, but strategic. The findings of the Balkan Barometer can serve as a compass for that summit. A reminder that citizens are watching. That hope for the EU is growing again. And that trust, once restored, must be defended. For the Western Balkans, this summit is an opportunity to show that the European path is not theoretical or seasonal, but credible. And credibility, as the Balkan Barometer shows, changes perspectives. When we look at the whole picture – citizens, businesses, institutions, young people – a simple truth emerges. People in the Western Balkans are not looking for miracles. They are looking for results. They reward progress with trust. They believe in Europe when Europe believes in them,” concluded Kapetanović.
The Balkan Barometer 2025 presentation also included a panel discussion entitled “Evidence over Assumptions: Knowledge that Matters for Regional Progress”, with participants: Adnan Efendić, Professor of Economics at the University of Sarajevo; Corina Stratulat, Associate Director and Program Manager at the European Policy Center (EPC); Zoran Nechev, Policy and Advocacy Fellow at Think Europe; and Franceska Muco, Executive Director of the Young Professionals Network of Albania; moderated by Gjeraqina Tuhina, Brussels correspondent. The panel examined how the Barometer’s data can inform policymaking, strengthen regional cooperation, and support the Western Balkans’ path to EU membership.
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