This year's Liberal Hack was held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and brought together young liberals from across Europe to tackle one of the EU's most pressing challenges: EU enlargement.
After years of enlargement fatigue, geopolitical tensions have brought enlargement back on to the EU's agenda. From Ukraine to the Western Balkans, it a political priority again for the Union to grow stronger, expand and take advantage of the opportunities enlargement offers. The Liberal Hack highlighted the complexity of the enlargement process, trying to come up with innovative Liberal policy solutions to the numerous challenges faced by candidates countries.
Held from 13–15 June, the event blended policy debate, teamwork and creative problem-solving into one inspiring weekend. The event was organised by the European Liberal Forum (ELF) with the support of LYMEC and the Boris Divković Foundation.
Day one began on Friday and participants learnerd from expert guest speakers who opened the event. Miomirka Melank, Naša Stranka Supervisory Board Member & Member of Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Daniela Vancic, European Program Manager, Democracy International both shared their experiences, and insights on the enlargement process in the region.
The first content session gave participants a solid grasp of EU enlargement, from its institutional, political and societal dimensions - this session was led by Maartje Schulz and Adnan Huskic. A highlight for many participants was the first “hacking” session. Teams formed to develop solutions around five key areas: EU Institutions, Economy and Budget, Migration, Culture and Education, and Climate Change. These areas are all vital parts of the EU accession and enlargement process, with intense research and problem-solving was required.
Day two started on Saturday morning, with participants ready to give energy and focus. Under the guidance of moderators Willemijn Krans and Chiara Liguori, teams refined their ideas and prepared mid-point pitches for feedback from Andrea Ugrinoska, former Chair of the Council of Europe’s Advisory Council on Youth.
The diversity of ideas at this point reflected the complexity, as well as opportunity, provided by EU expansion. From climate integration policies to cross-border educational platforms, there was many robust ideas presented. After lunch, one final hacking session began, where the teams presented their polished proposals in the Final Showcase. These ideas and proposals were then judged and voted on to decide on the winning team.
The event closed with an awards ceremony, where one team was declared the winner. Every group made a lasting impact and produced great ideas, which reflected the standards of this years Liberal Hack competition. This year's winning group was the Climate Change team including: Ruslana Bolkun (Ukraine), Fabian Grepper (Switzerland), and Aliise Litvinov (Estonia).
Every ideas and outcomes of the Liberal Hack 2025 will be compiled into a booklet to be disseminated at events. The winning group will trave to Brussels in October to present their ideas and solutions with Members of the European Parliament, EU Officials and stakeholders.
LYMEC's Chiara Liguori, Willemijn Krans, and Even Diot closed the event by praising the participants for their drive and commitment to excellence.
Liberal Hack 2025 proved that young liberals are not only ready to shape Europe’s future; they’re already doing it.
Liberal Hack 2025