Berta López Domènech is a Policy Analyst in the European Politics and Institutions Programme at the European Policy Centre, focusing mainly on Western Balkans and EU enlargement policy.
Before joining the EPC, she worked as an intern at the Post-Conflict Research Center in Sarajevo, conducting research about the war and peacebuilding in Bosnia. She also monitored the Bosnian general elections as an international observer. Her work experience in EU affairs includes working at the think tank Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions and a traineeship at the European Committee of the Regions, focusing on territorial cohesion, transport, and climate policy, among other matters. Prior to that, she was a political journalist in Spain.
Berta holds a BA in International Relations from the Ramon Llull University in Barcelona and a MA in Advanced Journalism and Reporting from the same university, along with a diploma in New Scenarios in the Balkans from the Complutense University in Madrid.
PROGRAMME
PROJECTS
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Western Balkans, EU enlargement, post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding, territorial cohesion and integration, elections
CURRENT POSITIONS
Policy Analyst
EDUCATION
Bachelor's Degree in International Relations at Blanquerna School of Communications and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona
Erasmus semester at Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome
Master's degree in Advanced Journalism, Reporting at Blanquerna School of Communications and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona
LANGUAGES
Spanish, Catalan, English, Italian, French, German (intermediate), Bosnian (basic)
Experts confirm that changing the methodology for the intermediate steps wouldn't require amending the Treaties. The real question is whether there is enough political will within the Council. Orbán's Hungary is little more than a fig leaf for the deeper reluctance of many other member states to give up their veto power
The Western Balkans stand at a pivotal moment in their European integration journey. As geopolitical dynamics evolve, the EU must reaffirm its commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law as the cornerstones of enlargement.
Kosovo citizens will go to the polls on February 9. This election will be a crucial test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who will seek to reaffirm his landslide victory from 2021.
En los últimos años, los Balcanes occidentales han sido escenario de numerosas movilizaciones sociales. Desde protestas estudiantiles a manifestaciones en defensa del medioambiente y por el espacio público. Desde movilizaciones en pro de la democracia y contra la corrupción a reivindicaciones a favor de los derechos sociales y civiles.
Montenegro is a test case for the EU’s ability to engage with the enlargement process in a different way within the framework of the current methodology and to demonstrate actual – not just rhetorical – commitment to the policy. Allowing Podgorica to join already, during the current politico-institutional cycle, could serve to restore the credibility of the membership perspective offered to the Balkans, further motivate reform in Ukraine and Moldova and prove that the EU is capable of responding effectively to the tectonic geopolitical shifts triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
If Montenegro were to join the EU in the next few years, it would set a precedent for any potential entries thereafter, as well as for the future of enlargement policy. The EU should therefore make sure that Montenegro’s accession is a real success story for the EU, for the new member and for the enlargement dossier as a whole. To plan for such a win-win outcome, the EU and its members should properly prepare Montenegro’s accession with clear and detailed plans, which outline the steps to be taken both by Montenegro and the EU in the near future. Foreseeing a more active and substantive role for civil society involvement will be key to ensure that the process is transformative.
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