#DemocracyDrinks: Urgency and Opportunity Meet in the EU Enlargement Debate

How should the EU, the Netherlands and other EU member states improve and speed up EU enlargement to the Western Balkans – and beyond?
As more and more Western Balkan nations move towards the EU, what is the role that the rest of Europe stands to play in their pursuit of accession? How can EU member states like the Netherlands support Western Balkan democracies in the face of growing geopolitical tensions?

Join us on February 26th (17:00-19:00), for this year’s first edition of #DemocracyDrinks The Hague, where we will be joined by:

• Marko Makovec, seasoned Slovenian diplomat, former Head of Cabinet for the EU’s Enlargement Commissioner, and one of the leading authorities on the complexities of enlargement within the European Union.
• Thijs Reuten, Dutch MEP and leading advocate against democratic backsliding in the EU and its neighbourhood.

This edition is organised in collaboration with PAX, the Network of Sustainable Development and Education, Free Press Unlimited, the Dutch Albanian Foundation, the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, Max van der Stoel Foundation, and Committee for Humanitarian Intervention in Utrecht, Amsterdam, and Leiden.

About Marko Makovec

Marko Makovec is a Slovenian diplomat and a leading authority on the complexities of EU enlargement. Most recently, he served as the Head of Cabinet for Ms. Marta Kos, the Commissioner for Enlargement. Prior to this, he was the highest-ranking Slovene at the European External Action Service (EEAS), as Deputy Managing Director for Managing Directorate Europe. In this capacity, he expertly oversaw relations with the United Kingdom, European Economic Area, Turkey, and the Western Balkans from 2021 to 2024.

He earlier represented Slovenia with distinction as the Permanent Representative to the EU’s Political and Security Committee (2017-2020). He served as Diplomatic Adviser to the Slovenian President (2013-2017), and as Principal Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister (2008-2012), acting as chief negotiator for the Arbitration Agreement between Slovenia and Croatia. His illustrious career began with his foundational work as an Adviser to the Director-General (2003-2005),as a Delegate to the Working Party for Western Balkans in the EU (2007-2008), and as Deputy Head of Mission in Rome.

About Thijs Reuten

Thijs Reuten is a Dutch Member of the European Parliament that has, since 2021, served on the Committee of Foreign Affairs, Delegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee, and the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, among others. He played a pivotal role in normalising visa-free travel between Kosovo and the EU, and has been a leading advocate against democratic backsliding in the EU and its neighbourhood. Reuten has a background in political science and international relations, and has previously served as an Amsterdam City Councilor, and a District Administrator for Amsterdam-Oost.

What are the #DemocracyDrinks?

#DemocracyDrinks is an informal, recurring conversation and networking series bringing together people working on democracy, peace, justice, and democratic participation.

The format is intentionally simple: open, dialogue-led conversations in a relaxed setting. #DemocracyDrinks The Hague provides space to connect across sectors, test ideas, explore emerging questions, and reflect collectively on democratic challenges beyond formal panels or presentations.

Launched in Brussels in 2018, #DemocracyDrinks now takes place in cities around the world. Editions in The Hague have brought together a diverse mix of practitioners from NGOs, international institutions, think tanks, government, and civil society. The Hague series is co-organised by the Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC), the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), and The Hague Humanity Hub.

Interested in hosting your own edition? Apply here.

Western Balkans Symposia Series

Since 2024, four symposia on the Western Balkans vis-à-vis especially the EU have been organised by PAX, Free Press Unlimited, Dutch Albanian Foundation, Netherlands Helsinki Committee, Max van der Stoel Foundation and Committee for Humanitarian Intervention in Utrecht, Amsterdam and Leiden. Topics have ranged from EU enlargement and the extent of democracy, peace, justice and independent media in the ‘oft-neglected region’ of the Western Balkans. Speakers have ranged from Thijs Reuten, Dutch member of the European Parliament for the Progressive Alliance group, Tamara Filipovic of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia, to Robert Bosch, former Dutch ambassador to Albania and Kosovo. The primary aims of this symposia series are to: a) keep attention on the situation and future of this region among policymakers and the wider public; b) enhance insights on this region to everybody involved and interested; and c) offer solutions to challenges of peace, democracy, justice and civil society in that region by and for policymakers, experts and everybody involved–preferably via EU principles and memberships