Filenews 23 June 2022
Everything indicates that EU leaders will finally give "candidate status" to Ukraine, but also to Moldova at the upcoming summit on Thursday. Of course, many national governments warn that the whole process "could take 15 to 20 years" until the two countries fully join.
The French Minister for European Affairs, Clement Bon, also points out this, speaking on behalf of the Council in the European Parliament. The granting of 'candidate status' is seen as more of a symbolic step, without any automaticity for the opening of accession negotiations.
But "the elephant in the room" is another: What about the countries of the Western Balkans, which are waiting patiently in the antechamber of the EU, with or without "candidate status", but without finally taking a step towards full membership? Albania and North Macedonia are officially considered "candidate countries", but accession negotiations have not yet begun. With Serbia and Montenegro, negotiations had begun, but they are not progressing. As for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, they are still a long way from 'candidate status'.
Scenarios for a "blockade" at the summit
In protest at the stagnation of recent years, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday that both he and his counterparts in Albania and North Macedonia are considering boycotting the "EU-Western Balkans Summit" that will also take place on Thursday in Brussels. Eventually they thought about it again and decided to be present. Many were those who pointed out that nothing good is foreshadowed for their accession process, if they start the threats and the "vetoes" from now on.
Finally, the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, confirmed, via Twitter, the participation of the three countries, which, as he characteristically mentions, want to express their views "on the open Balkans that promote the spirit of Europe and on our hostage-taking by Bulgaria, which is destroying it... »
More than obvious is Rama's protest against the stance of Bulgaria, which is currently blocking the opening of accession negotiations with neighbouring North Macedonia. Skopje received "candidate status" 17 years ago, but since then there has been no development. The country has changed its name to overcome the previously negative attitude of Greece. But now it is faced with the veto of Bulgaria, which invokes historical reasons and issues of national identity, which many consider rather absurd.
And all this despite the fact that the new Bulgarian government, which is projecting a progressive and pro-European profile, seemed determined to cut the "Gordian knot". This, however, caused intra-government friction and eventually brought about the dissolution of the governing coalition under Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. After six months, Bulgaria is heading for new early elections, unless an intervention by the country's President, Rumen Radev, succeeds.
The EU needs a solution for the Western Balkans
And yet there must be a solution for the Western Balkans, says Dutch Liberal MEP (Renew Europe) Sophie Idfeld, who, she says, understands the indignation of the candidate countries. "We risk losing all these people, while at the same time Russia and China are opening doors and gaining sympathies," the Dutch MEP points out. Of particular concern in Brussels is Serbia's increasingly obvious pro-Russian policy. That is why the liberal MEP, but also the Greens in the European Parliament, are proposing to agree on a road map for the accession of the Western Balkans. Sophie Idfeld even argues that "one cannot demand that countries such as Ukraine or the Western Balkans now implement the necessary reforms, but wait for another generation until they join. Problems related to the rule of law or the fight against corruption can be better addressed inside than outside the EU."
This view approaches the position of Austria, which is now emerging as a main supporter of the Western Balkans in the EU. Recently, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg sent a non-paper to the other member states, in which he proposed "to take steps on the accession path, without altering the foreseen process".
