On Tuesday 4 December, several ministers from Western Balkan countries asked the European Union and specifically the Council to keep their side of the bargain during a debate organised by Friends of Europe.
“EU is a credible partner, but it need to be there in the region and not use double standards [...]. If the reforms are made, we should get results”, explained Dhurata Hoxha (Minister of European Integration, Kosovo). She reiterated that her country had fulfilled all the necessary conditions for visa liberalisation – progress that has been recognised by the European Commission and the European Parliament – but that the Council had still not given its consent (see other news).
The same is true for Radmila Šekerinska (Minister of Defence, Macedonia). In her opinion, the EU must be frank and acknowledge that, for previous accessions, the countries’ transformation mainly took place during the accession process. “Now is the time for the EU and NATO to hold up their side of the bargain”, said Ms Šekerinska, adding that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) was not asking to be a member, but to start the accession process. Consequently, she hoped that next June, the Council would give its consent to this end, “a signal to move forward”. “We should work on relations and not use ‘it’s complicated’ as an excuse”, she added.
“The EU should continue to be the light at the end of the tunnel and not a moving light”, Hoxha insisted.
Yet, “there is no moving target” according to Christian Danielsson, the European Commission’s Director-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. In his opinion, the EU has never been so engaged in the Balkan accession process. “Our challenge is to maintain the momentum” created in recent months, he explained, reiterating the commitment of successive Council Presidencies on this issue – Bulgaria, Austria, and the future Presidencies of Romania, Finland, and Croatia. “There is a window of opportunity to be grasped. We have to see if the Western Balkans want to take it”, he added, emphasising the encouraging progress in the region. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)