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The chances of Balkan countries joining the EU are zero...

Politiko 2025-04-14 12:40:35

The chances of Balkan countries joining the EU are zero...

By Enver Robelli

There are many politicians in the Balkans who are still trying to create the impression that their countries' EU membership is already on the horizon. The most vocal of late is the Albanian prime minister. On the eve of the elections, he is trying to sell the illusion that if he stays in power for another 4 years, Albania will join the EU.

How realistic is this promise? According to an analysis by the German newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (FAZ), the chances of the Balkan countries being accepted into the EU as full members are zero. Four sentences in the coalition agreement for the new government in Germany are very bad news for the Balkan countries. They state: “The enlargement of the EU and its ability to absorb this enlargement must go hand in hand. Therefore, at the latest with the next enlargement, we need internal consolidation and a reform of the EU that strengthens it institutionally.” It then states: “The principle of consensus in the European Council must not become an obstacle to decision-making. This applies in particular to decisions that still require a unanimous vote in the EU Council.”

Translated into Albanian, this means: the EU must be reformed first, then we'll see. The reform would look like this: a majority vote would be enough for a country to join (and not the votes of all member states, as is the case now). According to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” “overcoming the current situation – that is, moving to the possibility of making decisions in the European Council only by majority vote – is impossible, if not almost hopeless.” Many member states do not want to give up their veto rights.

According to FAZ, if the EU were to admit all countries that have expressed a desire for membership or with which it has already started negotiations, this would mean that, for example, no decision in foreign policy could be made without the consent of Belgrade, Chisinau, Kiev, Sarajevo, Skopje, Podgorica, Pristina or Tirana.

French President Emmanuel Macron has long been skeptical of EU enlargement, and now the German government is also approaching this position. There is an idea among some experts that the Balkan countries should be offered a second-class membership. Under this model, these countries could have access to the EU's single economic market, but would be excluded from political decision-making.

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