Trump’s Second Term: Garcević on Implications for the Balkans
Ambassador Vesko Garcević, Professor at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies, provided insights into the potential impact of Donald Trump’s second presidential term on the Balkans across multiple media platforms.
In the BBC Serbian Service article “What does Trump’s return mean for the Balkans?“, Garcević argued that the Balkans would likely only attract Trump’s attention within a broader geopolitical context, such as the Ukrainian situation. He emphasized that the US would likely adopt a more unilateral approach, potentially diverging from previous administrations’ coordination with the European Union.
Speaking to Radio Free Europe, Garcević highlighted the limited likelihood of significant policy shifts. In the article “Western Balkans on the ‘margin of interest’ of the Trump administration,” he stressed that it would be “a big surprise if America withdrew recognition of Kosovo or renounced the Dayton Agreement.”
For Insider TV, Garcević offered a critical perspective on Trump’s inaugural speech, describing it as a combination of populism and megalomaniac promises. He expressed deep concerns about the growing political influence of the US oligarchy, warning that an unchecked concentration of wealth could lead to an extreme concentration of political power over state institutions, media, and the economy.
Ambassador Vesko Garčević dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years during his diplomatic career. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He was Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School. Learn more about Ambassador Garčević on his faculty profile.