The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) presented the Balkan Barometer 2025 in Brussels on Thursday, offering its most extensive annual snapshot of public and business sentiment across the Western Balkans. This year’s findings point to rising optimism over EU integration, strong backing for regional cooperation and heightened expectations for economic improvement.
RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanović said the results showed a clear link between visible progress and public trust. “When real progress happens, trust follows. Support for EU integration is at a record high, and confidence in regional cooperation remains strong,” he said. “People recognise the value of practical results, from fewer barriers and lower costs to better connectivity and new opportunities for youth and businesses.”
The survey found that 64% of citizens support EU membership, the highest level since 2015 and a 10-point increase from last year. Inflation and rising prices remain the top concern for 66% of respondents, but 64% believe regional cooperation can help improve the economic situation, according to a new question introduced this year.
Businesses reported benefits from deeper regional integration, including lower operating costs due to the roaming-free regime and expected gains once travel across the region is possible with only an ID card. Youth sentiment remains mixed: 68% are considering living or working abroad, either temporarily or permanently, while 71% believe EU membership would be positive for their country — the highest level recorded among young people in five years.
Kapetanović said the report comes at a strategic moment, ahead of next week’s EU–Western Balkans summit in Brussels. “The findings can serve as a compass for the summit — a reminder that citizens are watching, that EU hopefulness is rising again, and that restored trust must be protected,” he said. “People in the Western Balkans are not asking for miracles; they are asking for results. They reward progress with trust.”
The presentation included a panel discussion titled “Evidence above Assumptions: Insights that Matter for Regional Progress.” Speakers included Adnan Efendić, Professor of Economics at the University of Sarajevo; Corina Stratulat, Associate Director at the European Policy Centre (EPC); Zoran Nechev, Policy and Advocacy Fellow at Think Europe; and Franceska Muco, Executive Director of the Young Professionals Network of Albania. Gjeraqina Tuhina, a Brussels-based correspondent, moderated the discussion. The panel examined how the Barometer’s findings could support policy-making, strengthen regional cooperation and advance the region’s EU path.