For years, talking about European Union enlargement in the Western Balkans felt like a broken promise. We all knew about the promises made at the Thessaloniki summit in 2003, now more than two decades ago. But for a long time, nobody was really pushing for it, and the political will across many European countries was exhausted. But with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the whole geopolitical situation flipped in a day. And so did enlargement, for the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Moldova. Suddenly many woke up and realised that the EU cannot stay back and turn its back on an important part of Europe. Suddenly, many woke up what the EPP had been saying for many years.
Leaving a grey zone in the middle of Europe is a massive security risk. Enlargement isn’t just about trade agreements or ticking boxes on reforms made. It is one of the best geopolitical tools we have to keep our continent safe. Because the EU isn’t just an economic union, it’s also a union of values, a union of democracy and a union of the rule of law. Therefore, we should be looking for reasons why the Western Balkans states cannot join, which requirements they currently do not meet. Rather we should give a helping hand and look at how to make the transition easier. Because in the Western Balkans we have the unique opportunity to make a change where a majority not only of young people are looking up to the EU.
But this state of affairs will not last forever, and the enlargement policy is under fire from outside and inside of the region on a daily basis. We need to assure our partners in the region that our commitment is still there, and we finally did! Because if we have a region where China and Russia are investing massive amounts to increase their influence, there could be no greater proof that this region is crucial for the geopolitical future of Europe.
We have to look closely at what is happening to the young generation in this region. Right now, many young people are leaving the region for jobs and studies in EU, some never returning. They are clearly voting for the EU, also with their feet. This brain drain of course has a negative impact on the Balkans. It should also be a warning for us, we need the young generation. Because they are the very people needed to build strong, democratic institutions back home. Giving the Western Balkans a realistic path to the EU is about giving these young people a reason to stay.
If you want a proof that this process can actually work, look at Montenegro. They are the absolute example and frontrunner right now. For a while, things were stalling due to internal political problems, but the current movement is undeniable. The recent positive IBAR report on the rule of law and judicial reforms is a clear signal that hard work actually pays off. The pro-European forces in Podgorica, led by our friends from Evropa sad!, are completing reforms and aligning completely with the EU’s common foreign and security policy. They are showing the whole region that EU will respond to the hard reforms. Montenegro is on its a way to becoming the next EU member very soon and we need to push them across the finish line, not just for their sake, but to create a positive domino effect across the whole region.
Then there is North Macedonia, the VMRO-DPMNE government there is doing a really tough job right now. We have to remember how long this country has been waiting in the wings, being promised the EU future then often facing bilateral roadblocks that have significantly slowed their European integration and frustrated their citizens. Today, the government in Skopje is working hard to stabilize the economy, rebuild trust in state institutions, and to overcome these very complex regional disputes. They are keeping the foreign political compass firmly pointed toward Brussels despite heavy domestic and international pressure. That’s why it is exactly in places like North Macedonia where the EPP needs to show strong, long-lasting support.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the decision to open accession negotiations was an important step to keep the country on the way to the West. The country is complicated constitutionally, and national issues are creating many tensions. Yet the European perspective is one of the things keeping the country moving forward together rather than separated.
We cannot forget about Serbia, the undisputed heavyweight in the region. Yes, the political reality is complex, and Belgrade’s foreign policy is often a balancing act. But we have to be realistic and recognize the recent positive signals, including the recent constructive visit of President Zelensky. Strategic economic agreements are increasingly tying Serbia to the European market, from critical infrastructure to raw materials. Instead of alienating them, we must actively encourage this integration and support the pro-European voices in the country. Pushing Belgrade away would be a massive strategic failure, which would practically mean handing the region’s biggest player to Moscow or Beijing. We need Serbia tied to the EU.
But we also have to admit that things are not developing everywhere as we hoped. Albania shows a different reality, where we see massive protests on the streets of Tirana. The government is facing serious corruption allegations, and a very worrying trend of democratic backsliding. European integration shouldn’t be a smokescreen for autocratic behaviour. Still, we see our EPP friends fighting from the opposition benches. We have to back them; the rule of law has to be non-negotiable.
The window to get this done is open right now, but geopolitics is unpredictable, and it definitely won’t stay open forever. The EPP has exactly the right approach: we must be strict about democratic standards, highly supportive of our partners doing the right thing, and focused entirely on real security. Let’s drop the endless bureaucratic delays. We need to be the political family that finally finishes the job and brings the Western Balkans fully into our shared European home. And hopefully Montenegro will be followed not only by the rest of the Western Balkans, but we cannot forget also about Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia.
