“How the EU is adapting its enlargement policy in light of increased geopolitical competition and what this means for the region” was one of the topics discussed on a panel at the EU-Western Balkans Summit 2025. In an interview for EUpravo Zato, Aleksandar Nikoloski, Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia and the country’s Minister of Transport, spoke about how he sees this moment, which the EU is promoting as favourable for enlargement, when placed in the context of North Macedonia.
“I hope that this time the EU will deliver what it promises, which is that there is new momentum for enlargement. I hope that all the countries in the region have a clear European perspective. This is very important for the development of the entire region, especially as pro-European and pro-democratic forces must prevail, because autocracy is not an alternative. That is why I hope the EU will deliver what it promises, because as long as it does not, there is a possibility that dark forces will once again dominate the region,” Nikoloski told our correspondent in Brussels.
He underlined that not everything is in the hands of the candidate country, but also in the hands of the EU.
“I think the ball is 90 per cent on the EU’s side,” he added.
He explained that the reason he can now speak in such terms regarding North Macedonia is that they have delivered everything required so far. He noted that North Macedonia lives much better today, has a functional rule-of-law system, and that the state has actually been transformed.
“North Macedonia lives much better today, it has a functional rule-of-law system, and the entire country has in fact been transformed. This government is seriously committed; there is the so-called Growth Plan, in which we meet all the conditions that have been set, so our homework is done - now we need to send a message to the European Union,” Nikoloski said.
“If the EU does not enlarge, I worry for the region”
Earlier, Nikoloski also took part in the panel discussion “Enlargement Matters: Europe’s New Geopolitical, Security and Economic Frontier”, during which he stated that he “worries for the region if the EU does not enlarge.”
“We have been fighting for these values for decades, striving for membership in the EU and NATO, and there is no alternative to that. The story regarding NATO has been fulfilled, but we are stuck on the path towards the EU. We have changed our name twice, as well as our flag, currency and the like; it has been a never-ending story since the nineties, and everyone is wondering when it will end, yet there is no answer. I worry for the region if the enlargement momentum collapses, and the chances of that are high because there is no appetite for enlargement. I think we need to cooperate economically and connect with one another, which we are already doing in the region,” emphasised Nikoloski, who took part in this session together with the Speaker of the Serbian National Assembly, Ana Brnabić, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs and chief negotiator with the EU, Cristina Gherasimov, and Štefan Füle, former OSCE Special Envoy for the Western Balkans.
EU-Western Balkans Summit 2025 gathered European and regional leaders
The EU-Western Balkans Summit 2025 once again brought European and regional leaders together in Brussels to consider the geopolitical, security and economic dimensions of EU enlargement.
The gathering, partnered with EUpravo Zato, was held under the title “Enlargement matters - Europe’s new geopolitical, security and economic frontier”, and provided yet another opportunity for the Western Balkan countries, including Serbia, to send messages about their readiness for reforms, their European path and the strengthening of institutions.
The summit programme was divided into three major thematic units. The first session focused on the geopolitical, security and economic dimensions of enlargement, the second was dedicated to the economy and investment, while the third thematic block addressed the rule of law and judicial reform.
(EUpravo zato)
