Is the process of European integration based on merit, or is it, after all, about political preferences? This was one of the most discussed topics during the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels, organised by Friends of Europe, while EUpravo Zato was again the event partner this year.
The focus was on the expansion of the European Union, and as a large number of EU officials have recently stated that now is the right time to accept new members, the debate centred on how ready Brussels truly is for this, and how ready the candidates themselves are.
The Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, who joined via video link, stated at the very beginning that she often does not understand the process of European integration.
"When it comes to enlargement, I'm a bit confused, I dont know what the perspective is, whether it is based on meritocracy or political will. Last year, I pointed out that meritocracy is being insisted upon, but that it actually sounds like an insult to most of us in the Western Balkans, because it has nothing to do with setting goals, because even when we achieve them, the clusters wont magically open. We already met the conditions for opening Cluster 3 in 2021, and it still does not seem like that will happen soon, and we're approaching 2026. We have already had five European Commission progress reports noting that this cluster should be opened, so I don't think it's a merit-based system" she stated.
According to her, "we have also implemented additional reforms, but the cluster has not been
opened".
"Our partners, such as North Macedonia, are probably even more frustrated. They had to change their name and regulate relations with Greece, and they didn't even get a date. This sends the wrong signals. On the other hand, I congratulate our partners from Albania for opening all clusters, so I don't know exactly what you need to do to progress. I don't understand the logic of the process, even though I've been in politics for a long time", she emphasised in her address.
"We cannot change the Constitution again"
As Aleksandar Nikoloski, Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia, pointed out, his country has been fighting for European values for decades, but has nevertheless stalled on its path to the EU.
"We changed our name twice, as well as our flag, currency, and so on. This has been a never-ending story since the 1990s, and everyone is wondering when it will end, but there is no answer. I agree with Ana Brnabić that the process is political, as it has always been, but there is simply not enough political will", said Nikoloski, who noted that North Macedonia cannot be expected to change its Constitution again.
On the other hand, he emphasised that he is "worried about the region if the momentum of
enlargement fails, and the chances of that are high because there is no appetite for enlargement".
Former European Commissioner for Enlargement, Štefan Füle, joined the discussion, responding that European integration is a merit-based process and system, "whether you like it or not".
"Therefore, don't waste time, use it because this is a time of transformation"said the Czech
diplomat, emphasising that he hears "the engine of enlargement".
As he added, every enlargement of the EU has been accompanied by transformations so far because that's how the European Union functions.
"Now we are talking about an expansion that includes 10 countries, and this has major implications for how decisions are made, how money is spent and distributed... This doesn't mean you just have to press a button and the whole process will be finished. I would tell the candidate countries to focus on the future, not the past, because the future is yours too", the Czech politician said.
He added that joining the EU is a political issue, but also a technical one "because to be part of the single market, you have to meet a number of criteria".
There is a desire for expansion, but there must also be tangible results Srđan Majstorović, president of the Centre for European Policy (CEP), and representative of the Think for Europe network - a network of think tanks and EU policy research centres in Southeast Europe - stated that the war in Ukraine has created a strong momentum for the expansion of the European Union, but that this momentum must be translated into concrete reforms and tangible results.
As he underlined, the process of European integration cannot be separated from democratisation and the rule of law, as these very principles are at the heart of the accession process.
Speaking about the situation in Serbia, Majstorović assessed that the country is not currently making sufficient progress to bring it closer to the European Union, primarily due to the limited independence of institutions and the high degree of concentration of political, economic, and media power.
Tomas Vajc, the chairman of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU-Montenegro Parliamentary Stabilisation and Association Committee, stated that the reforms implemented by candidate countries must be visible and tangible in people's daily lives.
"It's not enough to have laws on paper, we need to see change in practice, in courtrooms, in the work of institutions, in how decisions are made, and in how accountability is treated, he added.
According to him, it is crucial for the countries of the region to understand that joining the EU requires long-term, consistent, and in-depth system changes.
Political will is needed "The European perspective brings stability, but it also requires political will. No government can expect progress if reforms are implemented only formally or selectively", he said.
Vajc concluded that citizens " trust can only be restored through transparency and the independence of institutions.
"When people see that institutions are working for them, not for political interests, then there is also a European future. Without that, the reform process remains only at the declarative level", he said.
The EU-Western Balkans Summit 2025, held in Brussels this year as well, brought together European and regional leaders to discuss the geopolitical, security, and economic dimensions of European Union enlargement.
The meeting, whose partner is the EU, was held under the title "Enlargement matters - Europe's new geopolitical, security and economic frontier" It was yet another opportunity for the Western Balkan countries, including Serbia, to send messages about their readiness for reforms, their path to EU membership, and the strengthening of institutions.
The summit programme was divided into three major thematic sections. The first session
addressed the geopolitical, security, and economic dimensions of enlargement, the second was dedicated to economics and investment, while the third thematic block focused on the rule of law and judicial reform.
(EUpravo zato)
