Cyber resilience in the western Balkans: critical infrastructure, EU accession and the social dimension of digital security

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.