World Powers Use Pandemic to Flex Muscles in Balkans

They say the big powers - China, Russia and the US - are not shrinking from using the pandemic as leverage to advance their strategic positions in an already fragile region.

After its initial blunder, when the European Union restricted the export of medical equipment outside its borders, the EU has corrected course and upgraded its performance.

Utilizing its huge administrative and financial capacities to assist Balkan countries, the EU has re-emerged as a supportive and trusted neighbour and ally to the region.

The absence of political agendas or particular national interests, which until recently was seen as a weakness for the EU in the Balkans, has turned into a key asset in this time of crisis.

But it is still unclear if - and how - the EU can respond to the aggressive PR campaigns that China, Russia and the US are undertaking in the region.

This challenge requires the EU not only to deal with issues that it is usually squeamish about, like populism and PR stunts. It is pushing it to step up its game, and finally start acting as a global player, or risk remaining in others' shadows for good.

"There is a global battle of narratives going on in which timing is a crucial factor," a concerned EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, wrote on his blog on March 24, stressing that the pandemic was reshaping the world.

"We must be aware there is a geo-political component, including a struggle for influence through spinning and the 'politics of generosity'," he stressed.

Battle royal for the heart of Serbia:

Experts from China at the Belgrade Fair, in Belgrade, Serbia, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC

The biggest PR battle going on now is for the heart of Serbia, where the EU...