The Challenge
The European Union is beset with enlargement scepticism. Despite mounting and undesirable influence from Russia and China, a need for internal cohesion, and the desire for a long-run EU perspective, many governments remain openly opposed to further EU enlargement. A pro-European government on the west Balkan with EU candidate status and a clear perspective for membership ascension approaches Agora to facilitate the establishment of resilient and comprehensive ties to leading European institutions, key-pundits, corporations, and players. The client wishes to improve its odds of timely EU ascension and push relevant stakeholders in this direction.
The Agora Approach
Agora first conducts a comprehensive stakeholder mapping of relevant EU-players together with the pro-European government. Here, Agora identifies vital entities beyond government that encompass civil society organisations, cultural institutions, foreign direct investment sources, individuals, and corporations. The engagement strategy is supported by Senior Advisors with diplomatic, military, entrepreneurial, and governmental backgrounds. Second, Agora devises a step-by-step program to induce sustainable cooperation between stakeholders with the goal of establishing enduring alliances. With this, Agora singles out beacon programs of high mutual acceptance and likelihood of success and aids in subsequent formation of favourable narratives for diverse target audiences. At all stages, Agora is in close communication with the pro-European government to insure maximum transparency and exchange of ideas.
Government consulting
The Outcome
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At various levels, a diverse partnership network of supporters emerges. The newly established alliances prove to be resilient and stable in pursuit of the client’s stated objectives
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The desired narratives are widely adopted, deployed, and accepted. Beacon programs pertaining to, e.g. Visa-free travel, student exchanges, and industry cooperation, are greenlit
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The pro-European government can demonstrate successful progress at home to shore up domestic support while further increasing the range of their cause regionally and internationally