Analysis
Economic Security
The Western Balkans Are Ageing Before Getting Rich
9 September 2026
Ursula von der Leyen has made clear that under current conditions, Europe’s economic ties with China are unsustainable. Although political momentum in Brussels and many European capitals is at a historic high, it is unclear how exactly the bloc intends to rebalance them.
Matej Šimalčík is a Visegrad Insight Fellow and an executive director at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies.
Alicja Bachulska is a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
This article is partly inspired by Šimalčík’s discussion with Theresa Fallon from the Centre for Russia, Europe, Asia Studies at the Europe Future Forum 2026.
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