Enlargement of the European Union

Undermined by years of mutual ignorance, disrespect and deceit, the Balkans' EU accession process has finally succumbed to both European and Balkan leaders' populist, short-sighted policies

"We want Serbia with us, but for that we need clear evidence that the country shares our values, such as the rule of law and democracy, and that it rejects the Russian invasion," Von der Leyen said in an interview with the Austrian daily Wiener Zeitung and Kleine Zeitung.
She underlined that the foreign policy commitment of the candidates is very important.

Luxembourg – Slovenia’s proposal that the EU should grant Bosnia-Herzegovina EU candidate status as soon as possible received a great deal of support and, above all, a great deal of understanding at today’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said after she outlined the proposal to her counterparts.

There is no reciprocity in this latter demand, despite repeated judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg calling on Bulgaria to recognise a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, which successive Bulgarian governments have ignored.

Brussels – Slovenia has produced a proposal to grant Bosnia-Herzegovina EU candidate status as early as at the EU summit next week. Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon will present it to her EU counterparts on Monday at a session of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has said he does not expect next week's EU summit to pave the way for his country to start EU membership talks, blaming Bulgaria, Politico reported today.

Thessaloniki – Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon attended a ministerial of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Thessaloniki on Friday, and held a number of bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Greece event. In the debate, Fajon noted the importance of a credible EU enlargement policy for the reform efforts of the Western Balkans.

"I will come to Sofia as often as necessary in order to reach a decision (lifting the Bulgarian veto on North Macedonia's membership in the EU) by the end of June, we have no time, the war has shown us how important the European integration is."

In its first year, the new government has fulfilled only of a few of the bold pledges it made about promoting reforms, political dialogue and progress on EU accession.

A failed attempt to topple the government has given it a fresh boost - but its long-term survival depends on success in delivering a start to EU accession talks.