Enlargement debate: Western Balkans, torn between hope and outrage

Ambassador Šarkić said his country’s preference was clearly individual accession based on its own merits, rather than a “package accession” with other countries in the region. He also questioned the EU policy of integrating the Western Balkans through economic cooperation, rather than integrating them with the EU.

“Why should we put joint structures between Western Balkan countries and only then join the EU? We had them within Yugoslavia and now we’re supposed to come back to it? This has absolutely no logic,” the diplomat said.

But Montenegro is not alone in its anger against the EU’s apparent coolness towards the Balkans. It’s former federal partner and less Euro-Atlantic enthusiastic neighbour, Serbia, readily joined in.

“It is a little bit bizarre that from four chapters opened per presidency, we are coming to one chapter,” the first secretary of Serbia’s mission to EU, Danijel Apostolović, told the audience.

The Commission’s progress report on Serbia was hardly encouraging either. Judicial independence, corruption, organised crime and media freedom are among the EU’s main concerns, problems which are repeated across the region.

A representative of the Permanent Mission of Serbia to the EU denounces that, even though big progress has been made, the lack of accession prospects in the following 5 years or at least the will to push for it from the EU side, seems to discourage Serbian citizens. #eaDebates pic.twitter.com/WZqJMWdo7v

— EURACTIV Politics (@eaPolitics) June 4, 2019

But it seems that Serbia and the EU executive have different views on the speed of reform in the country: “We advanced the final lot in reforms, although the last European Commission report doesn’t recognize it in the manner we want it to be recognised”, declared the Serbian diplomat, who doubts his country will make it to the 2025 accession milestone.

North Macedonia and Albania both received a nod from the EU executive to open accession talks and catch up with their northern neighbours. However, Albania seems to be the black sheep of the duo.

Read more: Commission recommends opening accession talks with Albania, North Macedonia

EU diplomats have told EURACTIV that there may be pressure on the Commission to possibly decouple the two and say ‘we do not think that Albania is ready to open negotiations at this stage’, while acknowledging the need to reward “the big strides” North Macedonia has made.

The Netherlands, in particular, is set to give Albania a hard time, and is already seeking to suspend the visa-free regime that the country enjoys, over fears of its mafia moving freely across the EU.

Commission: Suspending visa-free travel for Albanians should not be decided lightly

The European Commission said on Monday (3 June) it would assess a request by the Netherlands to suspend visa-free travel for Albanians, adding that such a decision should not be taken lightly.

Albania has also been tormented for months by street protests and a parliamentary opposition revolting against a socialist government accused of corruption. The political crisis could have a spill-over effect on the Council’s decision expected at the end of June.

“I know the political situation is not good, but there are a lot of young people in Albania who dream of studying and working in the EU. I hope the Council will deliver a positive opinion for us and North Macedonia. Otherwise, people will lose their hope and dream of the EU”, noted Uarda Celami, a counsellor at the Mission of Albania to EU.

The councillor of the Permanent Mission of Albania to the EU explains that Albania is moving forward slowly but with determination. Albanian citizens, especially young people, hold hope that Albania will one day join the club. #eaDebates pic.twitter.com/KoophCzhOQ

— EURACTIV Politics (@eaPolitics) June 4, 2019

Bosnia and Herzegovina, the last to apply for membership in the European club, also acknowledged its internal problems.

The EU has in the past discouraged Bosnia and Herzegovina from tabling a membership application, over doubts whether the three ethnic communities in the country can really commit to living together.

Read more: EU accepts Bosnia and Herzegovina’s membership application

“We had some internal difficulties, but we hope that with some assistance from the EU we will be able to overcome them and proceed further towards the EU,” Mitar Kujundzić, minister-counsellor in Bosnia’s representation to the EU, told the audience.

A representative of the Permanent Mission of Bosnia & Herzegovina to the EU explains that a hot topic is still the cohabitation of different communities in the country. They support economic integration with other candidate countries as their successes benefit them too #eaDebates pic.twitter.com/Ap5bqfqfG4

— EURACTIV Politics (@eaPolitics) June 4, 2019

The Commission last week published its ‘Avis’, or opinion on Bosnia-Herzegovina’s application, identifying 14 key priorities the country needs to address and providing a roadmap for reforms.

“After the Opinion was published, there are already activities in our country regarding the plan to implement the recommendations”, he said.

[Edited by Georgi Gotev and Zoran Radosavljević]