In Prishtina, the thematic forum “Voices of Youth in the Balkans: Kosovo Forum on EU Integration” was held. This forum was organized by the Center for Innovation and Development as part of the project “Youth Engagement for the Europeanization of the Balkans.” On Monday, at the “Europe House” venue, young people from Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, institutional representatives, and civil society members discussed European integration.
The project is funded by the Western Balkans Fund and implemented by the Balkan Institute for Regional Cooperation (BIRC) from North Macedonia, the Center for Innovation and Development (CFID) from Kosovo, and the NGO “NVO Glas” from Montenegro.
Opening the forum, the General Coordinator of CFID, Drenusha Latifi, stated that the aim remains to help citizens understand the values of the European Union.
“Our goal is to support democracy, fight fake news, and help people understand the values of the European Union. As our country gets closer to the EU, it is more important than ever to stand for truth, freedom, and responsibility. Unfortunately, we see a lot of false information that makes people feel confused or scared. That’s why we are here – to work together, share real stories, and build trust. Media plays a big role in this. Good journalism helps people stay informed, ask questions, and participate in democracy. It helps us understand each other and move forward as a society,” she said.
Milica Dediq, Executive Director of the NGO “NVO Glas” in Montenegro, emphasized that European integration is a political, cultural, and social transformation.
“The role of journalism and communication is crucial. Media shapes our perspectives, gives us space for dialogue, and can either weaken or strengthen trust. If we want to get closer to the European Union, we must promote media literacy, fight disinformation, and encourage transparent and constructive debate. Only in this way can European values such as freedom, democracy, solidarity, and respect for diversity become a reality. EU integration is often seen as a complex process, but at its core, it is a political, cultural, and social transformation. For the Western Balkans, it is not only a political aspiration – it is also a generational obligation. This regional project and today’s forum remind us that Europeanization and integration cannot be achieved in isolation. They require regional cooperation, mutual learning, and the courage to face challenges together. By working side by side, we show that there are no borders for cooperation – we build new bridges,” she said.
Lorik Idrizi, Program Director at the Balkan Institute for Regional Cooperation (BIRC), said the project aims to combat disinformation.
“The main goal of the project is to fight disinformation, because we know that many speeches and narratives are like that; for example, we hear that we do a lot, but Europe does not seem to want to deliver results to us. We have Ukraine, which is at war, yet they are moving forward with integration. Bulgaria is not as advanced as North Macedonia, but it is part of the European Union. But all these are just excuses because some Balkan countries have not done their ‘homework’ for the integration process. For example, we prepared the latest research report in North Macedonia and saw key findings where we have a significant gap in youth engagement, but implementation is still far from reality. We want to create our own narratives, and I think we have done a good job with this project,” he stated.
Project Coordinator from CFID, Andi Krasniqi, listed youth challenges and concerns regarding employment.
“The latest data show general unemployment at around 10.8%, and youth unemployment at about 16%. But there is a clarification to be made. Officially, the Kosovo Agency of Statistics follows Eurostat methodology and laws. On paper, the statistics make it look like everything is fine. But in reality, they are misleading. Why? Because in Kosovo, unemployment brings no support. In the EU, unemployment often means you receive 70–80% of your salary until you find work again. In Kosovo, you get nothing. Even after many years of work, losing your job brings no benefits. Many young people don’t even register as unemployed because there is no reason. Instead, they withdraw from the labor market. Here, the NEET indicator is important. In Kosovo, more than 33% of young people are NEET — neither in employment, education, nor training,” said Krasniqi.
According to him, this reality pushes young people to leave Kosovo, noting that 72% of respondents consider emigration as an option.
Meanwhile, Vlora Çitaku, MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo and former Minister of European Integration, said that today’s younger generations are less “enthusiastic about Europe than my generation was.”
“Even the mechanisms established through IPA or other EU instruments have failed to deliver results. In the last decade, I can give an example from Kosovo: Dua Lipa with Sunny Hill and Dokufest in Prizren have done much more than any government to bring young people from the region and beyond together. So, there is a lack of political will in governments, but at the same time, there is a lack of clarity from the European Union itself on what the roadmap for the Western Balkans’ EU integration will look like. Unfortunately, we have seen very little progress. Everyone expected, including myself, that after Russia’s unprovoked aggression in Ukraine, we would see a revival of a strategic Europe that would be more ready for enlargement. Unfortunately, very little of this has materialized,” she said.
The thematic forum continued with a youth panel featuring Rron Ukimeraj from Kosovo, Hamza Nuhiu from North Macedonia, and Mojash Kaščelan from Montenegro, who discussed the topic “Youth Driving EU Integration: Challenges and Opportunities.”
The target group involved in the project will include 60 young professionals, civil society and media representatives engaged in the EU accession process in the three countries. Additionally, it will include 15 journalists and other media professionals, 10 representatives of state institutions responsible for EU integration, and 15 civil society organizations.