Biden will push rule of law in Central-Eastern Europe

Significance

A more functional US-EU collaboration will have collateral effects on elite behaviour and agendas in Central-Eastern Europe (CEE). The emphasis of the Biden administration's foreign policy will shift to balancing security commitments with promoting liberal values such as democracy, human rights, anti-corruption measures and rule of law, but the region will not be high on his agenda.

Impacts

• The Biden administration will backpedal on the Trump policy on Serbia and Kosovo and concentrate on preserving Balkan territorial integrity.
• EU pressure on eastern member states to transition away from coal industries will attract more US firms in the energy sector.
• The importance of the US diplomatic corps in pushing Biden's liberal-values agenda in CEE will be magnified.