In a visit to Serbia last week I could feel the negative impact created by the paragraph on Enlargement Policy that is included in the Political Guidelines presented by the new European Commission to the European Parliament.
As a matter of fact, President Juncker stated that "When it comes to Enlargement, I fully recognize that this has been an historic success that brought peace and stability to our continent. However, the Union and our citizens now need to digest the addition of 13 Member States In the past ten years. The EU needs to take a break from Enlargement so that we can consolidate what has been achieved among the 28. This is why, under my Presidency of the Commission, ongoing negotiations will continue, and notably the Western Balkans will need to keep a European perspective, but no further Enlargement will take place over the next 5 years."
I read it differently! Being then his Political Advisor, I had the privilege of accompanying then Prime Minister Jose Manuel Barroso to the Thessaloniki Council in June 2003, where the EU Heads of State and Government "reiterated their determination to fully and effectively support the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries, which will become an integral part of the EU, once they meet the established criteria” and endorsed “The Thessaloniki Agenda for the Western Balkans: moving towards European integration”.
In a brief comment on the side, let me regret and criticize the fact that since then, neither in the pre or post Orange Revolution, not even after the dramatic events of last winter in Kiev where young and not so young Ukrainians died carrying the EU flag, the European Council has never made such strong statement regarding Ukraine.
I am one of those who do not believe in the so-called "enlargement fatigue"! Actually, I think Enlargement was one of the major successes of the last 10 years of EU history, under the leadership of President Barroso. I think this is just a false argument that weak politicians use to hide their lack of political will and strength. And I know this is not the case of President Juncker.
Reflecting on this, I always imagine how would I feel if, by the fate of History, my country and myself were among those European Nations and citizens that do not belong yet to the European Union. What I would expect is for the EU to show its solidarity and, should the political, social and economic parameters of the Copenhagen Criteria be fulfilled, accept us in the Club after the conclusion of the relevant negotiations. Hoping that, for the EU to be fair, each candidate country should be judged exclusively on its own merits!
So, as I said, I read that statement differently. First, this should not diminish or fade away our determination to continue the path for membership. What are 5 years in the life of a Nation? For how long is Serbia a democratic state? How quick time passes! And how much progress it has achieved! Let us make out of this statement a new challenge! Your challenge! Our challenge! No matter what is written, after all the ball is on our side.
Serbia wants to be a Member of the EU! The elections last spring are crystal clear on this issue! A Club where countries and peoples have decided that they want voluntarily share their sovereignty. Countries that apply for membership do not jump in the unknown. Our rules are well known by everyone, as the so-called Acquis Communautaire exists.
Therefore, let the negotiation teams of both Serbia and the EU open and discuss each and every chapter of the road map, introduce the respective reforms and fix the different transitional periods.
So I am deeply convinced that this is the challenge hidden behind that statement. It is an invitation for the candidate countries to prove their willingness, their readiness, to show their real motivation to enter the Union! And due to the complexity of the myriad of details that have to be settled, to accomplish it in 5 years is a tremendous burden and success!
In the EU side, we trust the leadership of Prime Minister Alexander Vucic and the competence of his Government to fulfill this herculean task. The reason for this confidence is the concrete positive Progress Report the European Commission published last October on the evolution of the situation of Serbia.
Here allow me to remind a situation that is damaging enormously Serbia, a country that we all want to be perceived as where the rule of law prevails, and that in the interest of Serbia should be settled as soon as possible: Twice this year the European Commission and the European Parliament “refer explicitly to 24 ongoing high-profile cases related to the privatization process…” emphasizes that political will is crucial for establishing a solid track record of investigation and conviction in high-profile corruption cases, including the 24 privatization cases singled out by the Anti-Corruption Council. Law enforcement bodies and prosecution need to become more proactive. We thus understand that even with an unambiguous political determination on the part of the highest government authorities, some structures within the state apparatus and the judiciary, such as the Special Prosecutor’s Office, are not delivering properly, especially on the high-profile cases.
So let us take it as an incitement, let us call it a "provocation" and show our future partners our commitment! If we deliver, and when I say we is because I am with you on your side, if we conclude the 35 Chapters of Negotiations, if we are ready for successful Inter Governmental Conferences, we can be sure that President Juncker, the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament will also answer YES! We share the same culture, the same values, we will share the same destiny. That is why the EU will be ready when the different countries of Western Balkans will be ready!
And we will be celebrating together Serbia's membership much sooner than we foreseen today!
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