As the Prime Minister noted in his article, “they have a competitive worldview and ambitions that violate human rights, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. They use the language of indignation, revisionism and imperial nostalgia. ”
Loud message to Turkey sends the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakiswith his article in Politico noting that some “they think they can crush the human spirit with intimidation and military force. ”
In his article published on the occasion of the Summit on the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) that is taking place today in Thessaloniki and the discussions on the accession of the Western Balkan countries to the EU, he points out that “There are hostile elements seeking to undermine E.’s efforts. They have a competitive worldview and ambitions that violate human rights, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. They use the language of indignation, revisionism and imperial nostalgia. They think they can crush the human spirit with intimidation and military force. We can not allow a vacuum to be created for such bodies to act – a gap in which they believe they can succeed “.
The whole article of the Prime Minister in detail:
Today’s Summit for the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in the ancient port city of Thessaloniki, a great center of trade and ideas for many centuries, is coming at a critical time. It is an opportunity to meet and exchange in-depth ideas with my fellow leaders and take stock of where we are and what needs to be done urgently.
History teaches us that there are periods of rapidly accelerating change that require immediate awakening. The world has changed a lot in recent months, and as a result, we are at a crucial time – especially for the Western Balkans and the wider South East Europe.
It is time for the European Union to recognize the existential importance of integrating this region into the European family and it must step up with confidence to do so – starting with the Western Balkans.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a prevailing belief in the West – after proving naive – that the battle for values ​​and ideals had been won. Europe’s history, defined by violent conflict and two world wars, was seen as turning the corner towards peace, prosperity, cooperation and the rule of law.
The unprovoked, illegal and horrific war in Ukraine has ruthlessly revealed how misguided such perceptions were.
Although the end of the Cold War was a moment of great hope and optimism, it also nurtured a dangerous complacency. It is a complacency for which we now pay dearly and we can not afford to be complacent again.
Today’s meetings come less than two weeks after the EU-Western Balkans meeting in Brussels and the European Council, where important decisions on the region and the future of the bloc could be made. And the Balkans, as many times in the past in their history, are once again at the forefront of competing spheres of influence – ominous vibrations can be felt beneath the surface.
It is therefore time for the EU to be honest with itself and with the region.
In 2003, again in Thessaloniki, the EU offered a political vision for participation and proposed a process that would lead to the integration of the Western Balkans into the European family.
But over the past 20 years or so, accession processes have become increasingly complex and demanding, and the vision has become blurred, fading in the eyes of frustrated and disillusioned citizens.
The EU continues to talk about a concrete commitment in the Western Balkans and expects the conditions and reforms it has set to be fully met. However, the region interprets this as fatigue from EU enlargement and a constant shift in goals. The war in Ukraine has only worsened the sense that the EU’s focus is shifting.
Considering all this now in 2022, once again from Thessaloniki, where we will be accompanied by the President of the EU Council and the German Chancellor, it seems to me that as EU member states we must take the bold but necessary step to complete the political vision of 2003. And we must do so in a historically and politically meaningful way, finally setting a tangible and time-bound perspective to deliver on our promise. We must build confidence that when the EU sets out a vision, it has the intention and the capacity to follow it.
I look forward to supporting this cause, not only to those attending today’s summit, but also to other leaders from across the EU – including my friend, French President Emmanuel Macron. He is both a profound thinker and an action man who has already put forward ambitious and innovative ideas for the future of Europe, which could serve as inspiration for our discussions.
But my message today is clear: according to defined criteria, let us offer the accession of all the Western Balkans to the EU by 2033 – an ambitious but achievable timetable. This is too late. And the first step must be a decision in two weeks in Brussels to “unblock” the road to Northern Macedonia and Albania.
In the wider region, the EU must embrace the fact that the new geopolitical landscape has imposed a different reality – one that includes countries such as Ukraine and Moldova in the EU perspective. This is reflected in the Joint Declaration of the Summit to be adopted today. The EU must see this not as a distraction from its evolution, but as an opportunity for transformation.
Looking back, the EU should be proud of all that it has achieved. The European project is a unique experiment that has proven to be the most successful guarantor of peace, stability, economic growth and social prosperity on the continent. But the future will not wait, and we can not make time stop – all life is ultimately evolution.
It is clear that such profound changes in the world around us require the EU to urgently hold a serious and frank internal debate on the future of enlargement – on how and when. We need to think and decide how we see ourselves growing and evolving.
In the Balkans, as elsewhere, there are hostile agents seeking to undermine our efforts. They have a competitive worldview and ambitions that violate human rights, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. They use the language of indignation, revisionism and imperial nostalgia. They think they can crush the human spirit with intimidation and military force. We can not allow a vacuum to be created for such actors to act – a vacuum in which they believe they can succeed.
These will be the thoughts I will take with me from Thessaloniki to Brussels. I want to believe that the EU is ready to meet the challenge of shaping the future of our continent in a way that ensures stability and prosperity for future generations. It is time to keep our promise in Thessaloniki.
