Has the Western Balkans not positioned itself clearly enough against the Russian war of aggression? The EU wants to counter it. Commission chief von der Leyen gives the countries a choice.
In competition with countries like Russia and China, the European Union is trying to gain more influence in the Western Balkans with financial aid worth billions. Concrete commitments to the six states in their aspirations to join the EU were not made at a joint summit on Tuesday in the Albanian capital of Tirana.
In a statement, the heads of state and government of the EU countries confirm their “unrestricted and unequivocal commitment to the prospect of EU membership” for Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo. At the same time, however, they pointed out that rapid progress could only be made on the basis of credible reforms.
Support for European foreign and security policy, including sanctions against Russia, was mentioned in the declaration as a basic prerequisite for further rapprochement. This particularly addressed Serbia, which has so far not supported the EU’s punitive measures because of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Dispute not solvable?
Chancellor Olaf Scholz admitted after the summit that the dispute remains unresolved. “On the issue of sanctions, we have a disagreement with Serbia,” he said. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic previously said: “We protect our national interests.” Serbia is “an independent country”.
In Tirana, however, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of “new impetus” in the accession process and referred to the increasing frequency of joint meetings. EU Council President Charles Michel emphasized how important progress in the accession efforts is also for the EU. “I am absolutely convinced that the future of our children with the Western Balkans in the EU will be safer and more prosperous,” said the Belgian. He was also alluding to the fact that the Western Balkans are located in the middle of the EU and border on member states such as Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Hungary.
In principle, all six Balkan countries are striving for EU membership, but they are at different stages in the process. In recent years, the rapprochement has also stalled due to internal EU disputes. The frustration of the Balkan states is sometimes great – especially since Ukraine and Moldova were made candidate countries at record speed in June as a result of the Russian war of aggression.
Von der Leyen’s appeal: Which side do you want to be on?
For the EU, on the other hand, Russia’s war has shown above all that there should be no “both-and” for countries like Serbia. “You have to decide which side you’re on,” von der Leyen appealed in Tirana. “On the side of democracy, that’s the European Union, your friend and partner. Or do you want to take a different path?” Russia and China tried to exert influence in the region. However, it is the EU that is the largest investor and closest partner of the Western Balkans.
EU threatens due to increasing migration via the Balkan route
The issue of migration is also important for the EU. Most recently, significantly more illegal border crossings via the Western Balkans into the EU were counted – around 22,300 in October alone, almost three times as many as in the same period last year. The EU is therefore calling on the Balkan states to align their visa policies with those of the European Union. So far, people from India have been able to travel to Serbia without a visa, from where they recently increasingly traveled to the EU and applied for asylum there. Serbia has already lifted the visa waiver for Tunisia and Burundi, and India is expected to follow next year. But the EU expects further efforts from Serbia and the other countries – for example in the fight against smuggler gangs. In the event that the countries do not adapt their visa policies, there have even been threats of suspending the current visa-free regulations with the EU.
The conflict between Serbia and Kosovo
The EU is also putting pressure on the tense relationship between Serbia and Kosovo. At the summit, the EU presented a new proposal to normalize relations. According to diplomats, it provides that Serbia does not have to recognize the independence of Kosovo, but should accept it. Specifically, this should mean in particular that Belgrade will no longer block Kosovo’s membership in international organizations. In return, Serbia could receive considerable financial and economic aid from the EU.
The EU has been trying for years to help clarify the relationship between the two neighbors. Kosovo, which is now almost exclusively inhabited by Albanians, split from Serbia in 1999 with the help of NATO and declared its independence in 2008. More than a hundred countries, including Germany, recognize independence – others such as Serbia, Russia and China, but also five EU countries do not.
What the EU is doing to bind the Balkans to itself
Money is the main incentive for the rocky road to EU rapprochement. An economic and investment offensive that has already been launched envisages providing up to nine billion euros in grants in the coming years. These should then mobilize an additional 20 billion euros in investments. Recently, another billion euros were made available to mitigate the consequences of the Russian war against Ukraine. The money can be used, for example, to support families and companies that are suffering from the sharp rise in energy prices. However, the countries cannot expect any concessions in the EU accession process. This should remain strictly “performance-based”.
What rapprochement means for citizens in the EU
However, concrete advantages of the rapprochement should be felt much earlier – also for EU citizens. For example, an agreement was signed on the sidelines of the summit that should result in future trips to or through the Western Balkan countries not incurring such high additional costs for cell phone use. By 2027 at the latest, roaming charges should be completely eliminated.
Information from the EU on the Tirana Declaration summit