The new European Commission led by Ursula von der Layen has yet another great thorn to face in terms of further or no enlargement of the EU. The new Commission Committee should decide whether the EU will be enlarged by including the Western Balkan countries. A very difficult decision, given that the EU member-countries are divided between two ‘opposing’ camps on this issue.
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Germany, Italy, the Commission as well as the member-countries of the Eastern EU are in favour of the EU enlargement which will include the countries of the Western Balkans.
On the other hand, those who oppose EU enlargement including the Western Balkans are EU member countries such as France, Holland, Denmark, etc. who insist on refusing to give the Western Balkan countries a mandate to start accession negotiations in Albania and North Macedonia equally.
The proposals that are heard in Brussels are to meet the request of Northern Macedonia and to transferred Albania’s request later.
North Macedonia and after the signing of the Prespa Treaty (2018) had invested in speeding up the process of EU membership and always using the argument that if it does not enter in EU, the risk of destabilizing will be visible.
On the other hand, if Albania only gets an extension and promise of a future start of negotiations, it will be put on track introversion further highlighting the nationalistic movements that want union with the other Albanian populations in Balkans (Kosovo, North Macedonia) against Albanians who are supporters of Albania’s European path.
Albania’s leaders in their effort to blackmail developments are saying that the Union of Albanian populations in the Balkan peninsula should be achieved either by integrating Albania, Northern Macedonia, and Kosovo into the EU or outside the EU where will be created separatist and destabilizing movements that could lead to war.
The EU is most likely not to close the door to the Western Balkan countries (Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro) but to choose to impose a guide road that requires more political reforms in social, political and economic level in each of these countries.
