Western Balkans summit of the EU: warm words, little perspective

Should the EU offer countries such as Albania and Serbia concrete accession prospects? This question divides Europe’s heads of state and government. The impatience of the Western Balkans is growing at a summit in Slovenia.

Proponents of a clear prospect of EU accession for countries like Albania and Serbia have warned urgently of the dangers of delaying tactics. “If we as the European Union do not offer serious prospects for this region, then we have to be aware that other superpowers such as China, Russia or even Turkey are playing an increasingly important role there,” said Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at an EU Western Balkans Summit in Slovenia.

Latvia’s Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins also warned that if the EU does not reach out to the Western Balkans and pull in their direction, someone else will. One must remember that freedom, democracy and the rule of law are not the guiding values ​​for government action everywhere in the world. Both Krins and Kurz are clearly against the course of countries like France, which currently see the EU not in a position to accept new members.

“We are a European family”

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also campaigned for a clear commitment to the integration of the region into the European Union. “We are a European family. We share the same history, we share the same values ​​- and I am deeply convinced that we also share the same fate,” she said on the sidelines of the talks with the heads of state and government of Albania. North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo. Admission of the countries to the EU is good for the Western Balkans, but also good for the EU. “We want the Western Balkans in the European Union,” she said.

The six Balkan states have been working more or less intensively towards joining the EU for around 20 years. They are considered strategically relevant primarily because of their location in the middle of the EU. Persistent deficits in areas such as the rule of law, freedom of the media and the fight against organized crime have recently made it easy for enlargement skeptics to postpone progress in the admission process.

Von der Leyen called on the Western Balkan states to hold on to their reform efforts. “Now stay on course, don’t give up, keep going. The goal is in front of your eyes,” she said. Huge efforts have already been made, but work still needs to be done in areas such as the rule of law and freedom of the media.

Billions in financial aid

At the meeting of the European heads of state and government with the leaders of the Balkan states, further financial aid was on the agenda in addition to the prospect of EU accession. In order to support the countries in their reform efforts, according to the prepared summit declaration, they are to receive around 1.1 billion euros in EU funds this year alone through an economic and investment plan. The Commission wants to propose a new package worth EUR 600 million for this, says the text. A total of around 30 billion euros is to be mobilized for the region over the next seven years – including through new guarantees.

In the Balkans, however, enthusiasm was limited – especially since the EU continues to deny them a concrete time frame for accession. “Of course I’m critical. It could have been better,” said Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti. But he still has hope. “Internal consolidation of the EU and external enlargement are not mutually exclusive, on the contrary,” he said.

Also Germany for the prospect of accession

Chancellor Angela Merkel does not want to speak about the talks in Slovenia until the end of the summit at a press conference. However, Germany is clearly on the side of those countries that are in favor of credible accession prospects. It is particularly annoying that the start of EU accession talks with North Macedonia has been blocked by Bulgaria for domestic political reasons for around a year – even though a clear EU decision to start negotiations was actually made in March 2020. The blockade also affects Albania, with which talks are to be started with North Macedonia at the same time.

On the sidelines of the summit, Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the conflict with the Bulgarian President Rumen Radew and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev. According to information from EU circles, however, no solution was found.