MEPs were divided, on Thursday 21 October, over the outcome of the EU/Western Balkans Summit held on 6 October in Brdo (Slovenia) (see EUROPE 12806/1).
While representatives of the EPP and Renew Europe groups welcomed the outcome of the summit, those of the S&D, Greens/EFA, ECR and ID groups were more critical.
David McAllister (EPP, Germany) said that “the EU showed a strong commitment to the Western Balkan countries and the enlargement process at the Summit”, while Tonino Picula (S&D, Croatia) expressed his “dissatisfaction” with the outcome. “Some important steps have been taken, such as the pre-accession funding instrument and funding commitments, but there needs to be a stronger commitment in the region”, he said, expressing concern that even the inclusion of the word ‘enlargement’ in the Summit’s declaration had been debated.
“The meeting did not mark any significant progress”, stressed Julie Lechanteux (ID, France) while Angel Dzhambazki (ECR, Bulgaria) described the declaration as “another document full of clichés and empty words with nothing concrete”.
Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (Greens/EFA, Germany) went further: “All we saw at the Summit was hypocrisy, appeasement of autocrats and pretending: the EU pretending to want to welcome these countries and the latter pretending to carry out reforms”, she said, adding that this undermined efforts to democratise the countries and for peace. For her, “it has to be stopped, a new policy for the Western Balkans is needed”.
More broadly, many MEPs called for continued reform in the Balkan countries and good neighbourly relations, which are essential for EU membership.
MEPs also called on the EU to fulfil its promises by opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania and to liberalise visas with Kosovo. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)