Costa: Albania and Montenegro could join EU before others

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

Enlargement to the Western Balkans is once again one of the EU's priorities, European Council President Antonio Costa told Euronews ahead of his tour of the region that begins tomorrow.

The European Council President sought to convince candidate countries from the Western Balkans that the stability and prosperity of the European continent depend on the enlargement of the Union.

Speaking ahead of his tour of the region, Costa promised them that the EU is committed to relaunching the accession process, which has recently stalled, partly due to the hesitation of member states.

In an exclusive interview with Euronews, he also called on candidate countries to commit to reforms.

At the heart of his mission to the Western Balkans is the need for Brussels not to lose strategic control over the key region.

- The Russian invasion of Ukraine accelerated the accession process of Ukraine and Moldova, so it is not fair to the Western Balkan countries for Ukraine and Moldova to overtake them, and this will force them to implement reforms faster - Košta told Euronews ahead of his diplomatic tour of six Western Balkan countries.

The first stop of the European Council President will be Serbia, a country that has been affected by a political crisis for months.

On the same day, Košta will also visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, and on Wednesday he will meet with the leaders of Montenegro and Kosovo.

The next day, he will visit North Macedonia, while the last stop will be Albania, where he will participate in the European Political Community (EPC) summit on Friday in Tirana.

European security at the heart of EU concerns

The EPC is an intergovernmental political forum that brings together over forty European countries, and was established in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans will be one of the main topics of the summit due to growing instability in the region.

EU member state leaders fear that external powers are strengthening their influence in a region that is an integral part of Europe.

- There is a broad political consensus on the part of the European Council that enlargement is the most important geopolitical investment that can be made for the stability, peace and prosperity of the whole of Europe, including the Western Balkans - said Costa.

The President of the European Council stressed that "the EU and the Western Balkans countries share a common vision, because they belong to the European family".

- That is why we must work on their formal becoming part of that family, within the European Union - he added.

Serbia – a key country?

The political crisis in Serbia is a source of concern for both the EU and NATO.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić was the only leader from an EU candidate country to participate in the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9. The only leader from a member state was Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Vučić and Fico thereby broke the boycott of the celebrations imposed by Western countries against the Kremlin. Serbia also never imposed sanctions on Russia that the EU imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.

For many Serbs, their country, then part of Yugoslavia, owes a debt of gratitude to the Soviet Union for its liberation by the Red Army in 1945. Vučić’s presence at the Moscow celebration is not necessarily a sign of support for Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

Vučić’s government has been facing months of protests in Belgrade and other cities. Demonstrators accuse the government of corruption and a crackdown on political and media freedoms.

Last week, the European Parliament supported student protesters in Serbia.

In Strasbourg, EU lawmakers overwhelmingly adopted a non-binding report on Serbia, drafted by Croatian socialist Tonino Picula. According to the lawmakers, despite economic progress, Belgrade still lacks political dialogue, the rule of law and the fight against corruption.

During a working meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month, Vučić “was very clear about forming a new government and adopting three key reforms: electoral law, media freedom and the fight against corruption,” Costa said.

The European Council President stressed that “enlargement is first and foremost a process of internal reforms.”

Commenting on Vučić’s presence in Moscow and the political tensions in Serbia, Costa said that one of the conditions for accession is a common foreign policy between the EU and future members.

However, he added: “On May 9 in Moscow, we celebrated an event from the past. Serbia’s future is in Europe.”

What is the timeframe for EU accession?

European institutions have often cited 2030 as the target for the first EU memberships, especially for Albania, Montenegro and Serbia. However, Brussels is now only talking about Albania and Montenegro.

- I don’t have a fixed date. Why 2030? And why not earlier? Accession is a merit-based process. If countries implement reforms, they could join before 2030, Costa said.

“But these very merits can change. Albania and Montenegro are clearly more advanced than the other countries.”

However, the war in Ukraine has led to a resurgence of tensions in the Western Balkans, especially in Bosnia and between Serbia and Kosovo.

- I know of no better incentive to overcome the remaining conflicts than this perhaps unique opportunity - membership in the European Union. This is the best condition we can offer the countries of the Western Balkans, an opportunity for prosperity that they would hardly find elsewhere - said Costa.

According to numerous polls, the majority of Serbian citizens have lost interest in the EU due to the Union's hesitation regarding enlargement.

- The most important thing is to understand the meaning of the European Union. Last week we marked the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration - the first step towards today's Union - reminded Costa.

- What really built the EU was the will to overcome the early past - he concluded.