Von der Leyen’s exhortations to speed up reforms and a message to Skopje about the need to change the Constitution, amid “pre-election fever”. Response from Brussels

It was officially about the Commission’s annual tour of the Western Balkans, the three-day trip made this week by its president, Ursula von der Leyen, starting on Monday from Albania and ending in North Macedonia on Wednesday.

The trip of the President of the Commission to Skopje, in fact, coincided with the period of the local elections. But the message from Brussels to North Macedonia’s political leadership was clear about the need to amend its Constitution to include the Bulgarian minority living in the country, at the request of Sofia. As von der Leyen emphasized, this is a necessary step in order to continue the country’s accession path to the EU.

A message to Belgrade as well

The message to Belgrade was equally strict, in view of the publication of this year’s progress reports for the candidate member states, at the beginning of November.

“Now is the time for Serbia to take a concrete position regarding its accession to our Union” emphasized the head of the Commission and while Belgrade continues not to align with the EU’s foreign policy, not accepting sanctions against Moscow, causing serious concerns at the same time with the violent suppression of student demonstrations and opposition parties.

“We need to see progress in the rule of law,” emphasized von der Leyen, emphasizing the required reforms that must include all sections of society and the entire political spectrum.

Her tour to the Western Balkans was an occasion to emphasize the enlargement process of the “bloc”, which is in a quagmire, as no progress has been made even in the countries that the EU emphasizes, namely Ukraine and Moldova, mainly due to Hungary’s “veto” against the European perspective of Kiev.

“Lead” for Montenegro and Albania

The exception is Albania, which in 11 months managed to open 28 of the total 34 chapters in the negotiations with the EU. “Forerunners” is also Montenegro, which has closed 7 of the 34 chapters of the negotiations, hoping for full membership in the EU in 2028.

However, even if Montenegro and Albania continue the path towards the EU, at the critical moment, it may be “blocked”, since on the one hand there is no “appetite” on the part of the “27” to soon open the debate on the required reforms within the Union for the inclusion of new members, on the other hand public opinion is not ready for such a thing in several countries, such as in the Netherlands, where Parliamentary ratification of the accession process for new members is required, European diplomats explain.