After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, multiple countries in the Balkans gained independence. Since then, the European Union has pledged to integrate these countries and cooperate. As Vice-President of the European Commission Joseph Borrell mentioned, the EU is not complete without the Western Balkans.[i]
The EU integration process of the Western Balkans that gained impetus with the initiation of the Berlin Process in order to improve the relations between the candidates in the region has not yet been complemented. Only two of the countries in the region are member states of the EU. The first one is Slovenia which became a member state during the great expansion of 2004, and the other one is Croatia which was included in 2013. The other Western Balkan countries, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, were granted candidate status. And Kosovo is considered a potential candidate after its visa-free status was given in 2023. Besides, all citizens of these countries can travel to the EU countries without the requirement of a visa. [ii]
The fact that Slovenia and Croatia are the only EU countries among the post-Yugoslavian countries attracts adverse reactions. Catholic Christians compose the majority of the religious communities in both of them are the driving force behind such reactions as the other Western Balkan countries consist of mostly Orthodox Christians and of a considerable amount of Muslim population. Other than this, another sanguine theory is that these two countries are the hubs of industries and more developed ones alongside Serbia during the Yugoslavia period.
Throughout the decomposition period of Yugoslavia, the European Union has actively taken part in conflict resolution. For instance, in the Ohrid Agreement of 2001, the European Union mediated the facilitation of the dispute between the Macedonians and the Albanians. Since then, the European Union has contributed to the development of the region in order to promote reconstruction by providing abound funds. Moreover, the EU has made efforts for the normalization negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia and took part in the resolution of the conflicts that were taking place in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Croatia.
In order to be a member of the European Union, these countries must comply with the EU laws, values, and tenets. The fight against corruption is one of these tenets and corruption is a serious problem in the Balkan countries. This situation does not align with the conditions of being a member of the EU. For instance, Albania has come to the fore with scandals such as the pyramid systems that led to the downfall of its economy in the 1990s.[iii] In general, the proportion of the people working in public administration is fairly high in the Balkans as well. This situation could lead to a stagnation of an economy and thus, the welfare of the citizens might be affected easily.
While Bosnia and Herzegovina has significant potential, the messy administrative system in the country is regarded as an impediment to being a member of the EU. Ethnic factors must be taken into account, while the application of its membership is investigated as the country went through bloody and long-lasting traumas during the decomposition of Yugoslavia. In the last summit between the parties that was held in March 2024, negotiation talks were initiated with Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is seen as substantial progress on the path towards integration and membership.[iv]
Furthermore, Montenegro is considered to have the highest rate of membership among the countries that are likely to enter the EU. This situation was accentuated during the 15. Participation Meeting. Stability, the fight against corruption, and the use of the Euro in the country are among the reasons for this potential.
Moreover, North Macedonia is another country taking essential steps in its path toward EU membership. However, the EU doubts the country of corruption as the number of public workers is mainly higher than the ones in the production sector.
Further, Serbia is one of the candidates. The situation of the country, due to the high crime rates, corruption, and the rapprochement of the country with Russia, seems unpromising in this regard. For example, during the Russo-Ukraine War, Serbia refrained from imposing hard-hitting sanctions and showed its Russian-tended stance in the region.
Finally, the condition of Kosovo is a little complicated. Eventually, the unrecognition of Kosovo by the United Nations and even by some EU countries are crucial obstacle. Therefore, Kosovo’s path toward EU membership seems flawed nearhand. Yet, Brussels continues to strive for Kosovo’s membership and integration. This can be understood from the recognition of Kosovo as a visa-free state, the construction of multiple infrastructures, and the provision of numerous funds and incentives.
All in all, the EU has taken part in many important matters and projects. Accordingly, the process of membership goes on respectively and consecutively. If the countries in question are provided integration through a big expansion, the best consequence will be met in terms of peace-keeping. However, this seems fairly sticky. The unsolved territorial and ethnic dispute between Albania and Greece, and North Macedonia and Bulgaria serves as a great hurdle for the initiation of negotiations. The aforementioned EU countries, namely Greece and Bulgaria, will not hesitate to veto the membership of the conflicting Western Balkan countries if they do not comply with their unwieldy and time-consuming impositions and demands. This situation will aggravate the burden of the membership issue that has progressed since the Berlin Process started, and procrastinate their membership claims. Nevertheless, these countries are in active cooperation with the EU and bear high expectations and hopes for full membership in the organization.
[i] “HR/VP Borrel in Kosovo: the European Union is not complete without the Western Balkans”, European Union EXTERNAL ACTION, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/hrvp-borrell-kosovo-european-union-not-complete-without-western-balkans_und_en, (Access Date: 14.10.2024).
[ii] “THE EU AND THE WESTERN BALKANS TOWARDS A COMMON FUTURE”, European Union EXTERNAL ACTION, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/western-balkans_en, (Access Date: 14.10.2024).
[iii] “EU Enlargement Meets EU Realism in Albania”, EUROPINION, https://www.europinion.uk/post/eu-enlargement-meets-realism-in-albania, (Access Date: 14.10.2024).
[iv] “Bosnia and Herzegovina, Membership status: candidate country”, European Union, https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/enlargement-policy/bosnia-and-herzegovina_en, (Access Date: 14.10.2024).
