Demography, Europe, and the Western Balkans’ Future with Alida Vračić

In this Vienna Coffee House Conversation, Ivan Vejvoda interviews Alida Vračić, co-founder and executive director of the Sarajevo-based think tank Populari. They discuss global demographic megatrends—aging populations, fertility decline, and regional disparities—and examine how migration and depopulation are affecting the Western Balkans, Europe, and the wider world. Vračić outlines the challenges of census deficiencies, labor migration from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Western Europe, and the socioeconomic impact of a shrinking workforce. They explore policy options for attracting and integrating migrant labor, including language and cultural programs, and consider how populist politicians exploit fear around migration. The conversation then shifts to Europe’s geopolitical context, touching on US-China rivalry, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and Europe’s multilateral responses. Finally, marking the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement, Vračić assesses Bosnia and Herzegovina’s post-Dayton governance structure, the role of the Office of the High Representative, and prospects for EU integration as a means of consolidating stability and promoting domestic reform. 

Alida Vračić is a political scientist and lawyer. She co-founded and serves as executive director of Populari, a Sarajevo-based think tank specializing in post-conflict state-building, democratization, good governance, and migration in the Western Balkans. Before founding Populari in 2007, she worked for the State Court Prosecutor’s team in Bosnia, at the Human Rights Commission of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and led Balkan-wide projects at the Human Rights Centre, University of Sarajevo, and the Spanish Institutional Programme. Vračić has been affiliated with several academic and policy institutions, including as a former Europe's Futures Fellow of the IWM and ERSTE Foundation, the European Council on Foreign Relations as a Visiting Fellow, and the German Marshall Fund as a Marshall Memorial Fellow.