Strengthening diplomatic ties on the road to EU membership
“This training programme has become a staple in the Florence STG programming for a reason,” said its Executive Director Fabrizio Tassinari. “It checks all the boxes of why the School came into existence and delivers the kind of policy impact and social outcomes that we want to see in the world.”
From 3 to 12 June 2025, the Florence STG has in fact hosted 17 junior diplomats from six Western Balkan countries for the fourth edition of the “Global Challenges and EU Policymaking” capacity building programme. Developed in collaboration with and funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, this tailor-made programme equips early-career diplomats with the knowledge, tools, and network to thrive as future EU diplomats. They were selected based on merit and motivation, reflecting their countries’ shared commitment to EU accession. The programme took place at the EUI campus in Florence, with a tour of Palazzo Medici Riccardi and a study visit to Rome at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A hands-on approach to EU diplomacy
Structured around four key pillars—EU policymaking fundamentals, diplomatic skills, Western Balkans policy priorities, and networking—the programme blended academic insight with real-world application.
Interactive sessions covered EU enlargement mechanics, the role of the EU institutions in foreign policy, strategic communication, and the geopolitics of Southeast Europe, while case studies on cyber diplomacy, climate policy, digital governance, and strategic foresight brought key concepts to life. They were led by more than 20 high-level policymakers, analysts, and academics such as Laurence Boone, former Secretary of State for European Affairs of France, Miroslav Lajčák, former EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, and Valentina Superti, Director for Western Balkans at the European Commission DG ENEST (Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood). “I applaud the EUI for bringing young diplomats from the Western Balkans to the Florence School of Transnational Governance,” said Lajčák. “It helps them understand how the EU and, in particular, the EU accession process works, to see how their own countries are doing in the process, but also to build partnerships that will help them in their professional careers. And even more importantly, to understand how much they have in common.”
Kristin Fabbe, Director of Executive Education at the Florence STG, described the experience as “an honour and a privilege for the EUI and the school to learn from the region’s young diplomats and to serve as a platform for capacity-building programmes in the context of future EU enlargement.”
An expanding network for the region’s next leaders
Beyond content, the programme fostered a network of future EU leaders. “Year after year,” Tassinari added, “the most rewarding feedback we receive from the diplomats of these six countries is not (only) about the quality of the training... but about the fact that they want to stay in close touch.”
Marco del Panta, from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Secretary General of the EUI, remarked, “Our courses enjoy a high oversubscription rate, and this shows that a truly European university like ours has an added value in training public officials of countries so committed to the accession process.”
Looking ahead, the Florence STG will continue to support diplomats from the Western Balkans through tailored executive education, ensuring they are ready to represent their countries, which are now closer to the EU.
As EUI Provost Josephine van Zeben, concluded: “this executive education programme puts our ambitions into practice: equipping new generations of leaders with the skills and understanding needed to address today’s complex governance challenges.”
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