Cyber resilience in the western Balkans: critical infrastructure, EU accession and the social dimension of digital security
TL;DR
It is argued that cyber resilience should be treated as a core component of the region’s European integration and of its social model rather than as a narrow technical or law enforcement concern, and made digital resilience a shared public good.
Abstract
The western Balkans are digitising at speed, even while lagging behind in terms of cybersecurity governance, institutional capacity and the presence of a skilled workforce. Cyber insecurity has become a matter not only of national security but of social welfare, public service continuity and democratic trust. This article argues that cyber resilience should be treated as a core component of the region’s European integration and of its social model rather than as a narrow technical or law enforcement concern. Drawing on the EU’s evolving cybersecurity acquis – notably the NIS2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act – and on the region’s weaknesses in the rule of law and anti-corruption enforcement, four interlocking challenges are identified: exposed critical infrastructure; regulatory misalignment; a governance and corruption deficit; and an acute cybersecurity skills gap. The article concludes with a calibrated agenda for regional cooperation, accession-driven harmonisation, workforce development and the involvement of the social partners, with the aim of making digital resilience a shared public good.