The Balkan powder keg is stopping Serbia on its way to EU: Enlargement won't happen until the problems in the region are solved

Rapporteur from the Brussels, Alberto D'Argenio of the Italian paper "Republic", claims that the president of France Emmanuel Macron is right when he says that before the EU expands, it has to be reformed, but after the reform, no one would have anything against the integration of Western Europe into the Union.

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"Deutsche Welle" reports that D'Argenio stated in the auditorial text for the German paper "Welt" under the name "What expansion of EU!" that "by 2025, EU could have at least 31 partners - if it still exists by then".

- Serbia and Montenegro are already negotiating the accession, and Albania and Macedonia could soon start with it (...) and ultimately Kosovo and Bosnia could come in line. Although some of the capitals would prefer to slow down the process, no one in Europe opposes the integration of the Western Balkan countries in principle- assesses D'Argenio.

He adds that "the memories are still fresh of the bloody war in the region after the break of Yugoslavia, as well as tense relations that still exist among these countries".

Foto: Wikimedia / Peter Denton

The author recalled that French President Macron said that he is not for new enlargements of new countries until the European Union is reformed, although no one can "accuse him of being the opponent of Europe".

- Just as no one can imagine leaving the Balkan countries to their historical quarrels instead of bringing them to Europe. The European Union has 28 members and it already can't be managed - D'Argenio said.

He reminded that "North and South Europe have been in dispute over the reform of the Euro for years without success".

- Western and Eastern Europe cannot agree on a theme called immigration, nor think of any idea that could revive European integration. Such disputes cause the EU to slow down and they lead to stagnation caused by populism spreading all across the continent - D'Argenio marked.

Foto: Profimedia/AFP

An Italian journalist said that "in this struggle, in fact, there is much more to be done, namely, about the future identity of Europe: will it remain faithful to liberal democracy or to non-liberal democracies that have already emerged in some countries?"

- Macron is the only head of government (state) that still wants to reform the Union, who openly says that it should get new sovereignty and to be respectful to its citizens. An understandable project which encounters a certain resistance of its colleagues - even (German Chancellor) Angela Merkel, and they must also fight the political weakness of its natural allies on that crusade: Italy and Spain - wrote the author.

D'Argenio said that Macron is right in terms of the reform "and that the possibility of the veto to individual members should be abolished and the majority decision should be implemented because otherwise, the management of EU will become almost impossible".

Foto: Tanjug / AP

- But, before the start of the accession of the Balkan countries, which could start in 7 or 8 years, this reform, of euro and migration politics, should be ready by the beginning of 2019 - he said.

He said that "everyone emphasizes this, but with the exception of Macron, nobody has the courage to really believe it in."

Instead, leaders prefer to engage in short-term political games and will not embark on a true vision of the future. The current governing political layer of Europe must finally start acting, or else they will be blown away from the political map of the continent. That would mean the end of this European Union - the journalist concluded.

(Telegraf.co.uk / Tanjug)