European Voices in the Western Balkans: A Liberal Perspective on Enlargement of the European Union
European Voices in the Western Balkans: A Liberal Perspective on Enlargement of the European Union

Author(s): Natan Albahari, Martin Apostolski, Damir Arnaut, Ivan Dragojević, Sanela Klarić, Aris Movsesijan
Contributor(s): Jasmina Mršo (Editor)
Subject(s): Political Theory, Government/Political systems, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, Geopolitics
Published by: Fondacija Boris Divković
Keywords: European Voices; Western Balkans; Liberal Perspective; Enlargement; European Union;
Summary/Abstract: A simple glance at a map of Europe is enough to see why a joint European future for all European countries is inevitable and that it would be a logical interest of the European Union do spread its borders across the Western Balkans and further strengthen its position in the region. Still, keeping talks of enlargement alive is getting more and more difficult every year. Even before the pandemic, the opinion that it is necessary to reform the accession criteria before any new enlargement talks should begin has emerged, which has temporarily suspended candidacy talks with Albania and North Macedonia at one point, and almost caused serious backsliding in the latter Western Balkan country. Although the European Union is still mostly engaged in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, preparing itself for the post-pandemic crises, and trying to make internal reforms in order to tackle existing and possible future problems in member states, talks on enlargement should not halt. And the two priorities – the one on the internal and the one on external strengthening of the European Union – must not be considered mutually exclusive, because they both benefit the geopolitical position of Europe. Therefore, liberal activists and policy makers from four Western Balkan countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) have decided to take initiative and promote talks of a joint European Future and a stronger European Union, based on the values and standards of liberal democracies amongst European liberals. This paper is an opinion piece written by them, and is supposed to inform liberal activists in Europe, but also to others who are interested in the topic, on what a liberal perspective on EU enlargement in the region looks like.

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