Enlargement Contention

Slovenian Dnevnik writes about the ongoing debates concerning North Macedonia’s and Albania’s EU accession talks. Six EU Member States - Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Italy and Poland – have now drafted a letter expressing their support for reforming the existing procedure of the accession process, insisting on a deadline in order to avoid further delays.

The six members’ diplomats call on the European Commission put forward proposals to improve the accession process by January. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has submitted a non-formal proposal in which he suggests a seven-process accession process which should be completed before countries are accepted to the bloc.

According to the French President, the EU must transform itself before it expands its membership to new countries. His proposal was received with mixed feelings, the article mentions and concludes that some members have already found it absurd to add further requirements to the process.

In an opinion piece, the Irish Times sums up recent developments in the EU accession process and how France, backed by the Netherlands and Denmark, blocked the accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania last month, causing irritation among other member states.

The article mentions France’s ‘non-letter’ to EU ministers, that suggests to first reform the process of joining, while in the same breath expressing support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans. Criticising the insincerity of the letter, the article argues that the accession process is already long enough and the French would only slow it down further and is probably only a pretext of the French to satisfy the far-right, anti-immigrant lobbies.

The article concludes that Ireland remains supportive of the aspirations of the Western Balkans, with the Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee travelling to the region to express its support. 

This week, Il Sole 24 Ore takes stock of the progress on EU integration and enlargement since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The editorial points out that until recently, the project of the United States of Europe seemed within reach, reflected in the successful waves of enlargement that brought about economic growth and cohesion throughout the Union.

Nevertheless, recent history also shows that the effects of the global financial crisis in Europe, together with Brexit, have turned optimism about European integration into “pessimism of disintegration.” New divisions have emerged between Eastern and Western Europe, widening with the gradual appearance of nationalist, populist leaders who spread a strong anti-EU rhetoric in the Eastern bloc. As enlargement has deepened economic integration between older and newer Member States, supported through for instance the European structural and investment funds, the article stresses the fact that political integration is far from accomplished.

The author concludes his piece on a sour note, by stating that the EU has become more divided and opposed to European integration.

Die Presse comments on Macron’s demands to reform the EU’s accession process, summarising the essence of his proposals which mostly cover the structure of the negotiation process, the requirements for accession candidates, their access to EU funds and their say in EU policy debates, with access to the Single Market remaining the last step. The article argues that France has a point, and that declared supporters of the accession of the Western Balkans have argued that something needs to change.

Adding an Austrian voice to the debate, the article refers to Gerald Knaus, founder of the think tank European Stability Initiative, who has been arguing for reform for some time. Diverging from Macron’s proposal however, Knaus suggests that the Western Balkan countries should first join the European Economic Area (EEA) and thus already participate in the EU's internal market, which could spur candidate countries on to the fundamental reforms that are necessary for full membership, while adding immediate and concrete benefits for citizens.