(Editorial team, 18/10/2019) An article by Euractiv France halts EU enlargement... (16/10/2019) where you can read: “Only France blocked North Macedonia, while the Netherlands and Denmark backed Skopje but opposed Tirana’s bid. Finland proposed Albania’s case to be separated from that of North Macedonia, but France disagreed.”
The Balkan countries need a global vision and not a cherry picking strategy, especially since we do not know which Europe they integrate? (EU, Schengen, NATO????). And this is the way the Balkan countries are going: “Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia… Three countries agree mini Schengen in the Balkans” (Euractiv, 11/10/2019)
And if we relate to Franck Biancheri, we would like to invite you to read again:
“… the EU has only two choices left. Either it does what it does right now: choosing no clear option, talking of possible membership but on an individual basis with each state of the region, with no clear deadlines nor process; while keeping on acting upon the status quo inherited from Dayton. By doing so, it prevents all the forces whishing to establish sustainable democracies and peaceful relations in the region to get power because it depends on current nationalistic forces (often anti-democratic as well) to preserve the fragile peace.In short, to preserve peace in the short term, it has to support the very forces which are against the objective of peace and democracy in the region on the long term. Tactics in place of strategy: a very good image of today’s EU political course.
Either the EU chooses to set up a crystal clear political vision, saying essentially three things:
1.the EU deals with the region as a whole. Even though every country will have its own objectives to meet, each country will also depend on its neighbours results. European solidarity has to be learned from the very beginning of the accession process, especially in this region.
2.the EU sets up a clear cut agenda with a symbolic deadline, July 28th 2014, and a symbolic place where the accession ceremony for all the involved country will take place: Sarajevo. To choose the 100th anniversary day of the killing of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand which started the 1st World War and triggered most of European disasters of the XXth century is not only a political symbol easing the communication tasks to people in the EU as well as within the Balkans, it reveals a true intention to definitely end the era of European wars.
3.the EU makes the pledge to do everything it can to convince its citizens to accept the Balkans in the EU at that date …”
👉“The last EU enlargement : getting the Balkans into the EU on July 28th 2014” – FB Documentation (23/01/2006 and 11/10/2009)
Read also:
👉“Bringing the EU enlargement process to a constructive end” (16/06/2005): Now, bringing enlargement to an end does not mean stopping everything.It means making clear to Turkey that the real option to negociate from October on is ‘PrivilegedPartnership’. At least for once we will not lie to the Turkish people anymore!It means completing the accession of Romania and Bulgaria before 2008.It means proposing a final accession date for the whole Balkans on July 2014 (a century after thestart of the first World War in Sarajevo), with some advanced accessions possible when countriesare ready (such as with Croatia).
👉 “Enlargement : Hysterical Behaviour Never Makes Historical Success” (20/01/2002)
