Conversation by Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement with Ali Aslan, International TV Presenter, Moderator, Talk Show Host
Would you say there is a new momentum behind EU enlargement because of the war against Ukraine?
It is definitely the case. It is the case which also confirms to us how people see the European Union. Because I think that we are really good at self-bashing when it comes to Europe. We are never confident enough, I think, we are never knowing what the real perception of Europe is. And now we had a very brutal test of that: the Russian war against Ukraine which triggered an immediate application for membership by three of the countries in the region. And their choice was made very loud and very clear. It is only through becoming an EU member state that they think they can have long-term guarantees for their security, peace, and their prosperity. So we should also read the signs clearly. This is what an EU membership is considered to trigger in any country. We have seen the same when it came to the Balkans. Their immediate reaction has been that, well, let's speed up the whole enlargement process. So my answer is affirmative.
Would you say, is the EU at its current state and juncture ready for further enlargement?
What I see is that we have missed more than five years. We had a Commission that clearly put on the flag "no enlargement". And that had an impact. That had an impact not only on the Western Balkans, but it had also an impact in our own member states. But the tide is changing. My sentiment is that – being in constant engagement with the member states – the member states are now seeing clearly, no matter which side we are talking about – west, east, north, south – they see that it is in the interest of the EU to integrate more member states, integrate its neighborhood as much as it can, because its own long-term peace, stability and prosperity is dependent on that. And this will trigger, I hope, this year, unprecedented decisions that we can take to move forward with the enlargement in a much more accelerated way than we have been doing. And I see that even in those member states who have not been putting this issue on their priority list, this is a priority now. I would say, if you look at the agenda of the leaders' Summits, this is in the top three.
People who may be a bit hesitant at this particular point are pointing towards the fact that the EU has limited fiscal capability. They also of course point to the fact that you already have a lot of deadlock these days due to the unanimous vote structure and the increasing number of states will only make things more complicated. What do you tell those countries that put these arguments forth?
I would say that these arguments are related to the everyday functioning and working of the EU, but this is not a strategy. The strategy starts with integrating our neighbourhood. And if we have decided on that, of course, we will have to adjust our daily lives to the new realities. So let's not discuss the everyday difficulties, but set the strategy clearly and loudly, and then work on how to make it work. Yes, we have been listening to these examples all the way, but do not forget that new members from the Balkans or from the East would bring also new opportunities for Europe. It would bring new opportunities for our companies. It would bring new opportunities for our security cooperation. It would bring new opportunities for our social model to spread, and this will definitely stabilize the regions around us. Because if you look at the core of the big vulnerabilities – and some of it you can also see in the war against Ukraine by Russia – is the lack of solid, reliable economies and societies. And this is what the EU is capable of delivering. And this would be also for the benefit of the EU.
At the end of the day, if Europe wants to be a global player, it has to grow. I think that is certainly something that was on the mind of many European leaders, but certainly since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. And investments, obviously are part of it, making living conditions in those countries aspiring to join the EU better. Could you give us some concrete examples as to what the EU is doing on that front?
Well, we try to be more relevant than previously. If I take only the example of the Balkans – but it is also true for Ukraine, Moldova or Georgia because if you look at what we are doing there, it is pretty much similar, although in size it is a bit different – what we see is that the Balkans is becoming an interesting investment area around Europe. After all, they have free trade agreements with Europe. Geographically, they are in a very good location, but they lack the very basics of growing, the very basic features of being able to create market economies with social welfare, like we have in Europe. For example, if you want to drive from Sarajevo to Tirana, which is roughly a bit more than 250 kilometres, you would have to drive at least for seven hours. If you want to drive from Brussels to Bonn, for example, which is 220 kilometres, you drive two hours. It also means that there is a missed opportunity. There are no trade routes. And when we have designed the Economic and Investment Plan with which we want to mobilize at least 1/3 of the GDP, in addition to the Western Balkans, we have been looking at these key bottlenecks. So this is why we want to engage to overcome the historic deficiencies that we have seen where no progress have been made. Link up all the capitals with highways and railways of the Western Balkans, and link them up with us. It will create an immediate impact on foreign direct investments. Create a new digital economy on the Western Balkans. They are missing core broadband internet connections. So why don't we together with our companies come and put it there so that this can create growth and jobs locally? Why don't we invest in the energy sector which is so outdated on the Western Balkans that it is still reliant mainly on coal and lignite? Only by doing away with the use of lignite we could reduce their emissions by 60%, if we replace the coal with gas. It also means that we could severely decrease the health risks also in these countries. In Sarajevo and Pristina, people are suffering from smog, from the coal. So we have really big and old problems that we never addressed, or we never helped them address, and this is what we are working on. And I am hopeful that within a couple of years, the reality on the ground is going to change massively.
If we are looking at some of the poles that are coming from the region, particularly Western Balkans, we see that their citizens are somewhat disillusioned, they are somewhat disappointed, perhaps, at the pace that the EU accession talks have taken place, some believe that the EU's door has been closed irreversibly. How does the EU intend to gain back the trust of the citizens of the region, give them hope that this process is real and fruitful?
There are two very important features of any strategy that is aimed at that. First of all, the European Union must and should take all the decisions it can take in relation to enlargement. No matter how small, no matter how big. Every time there is delivery on the side of the Balkan countries, there has to be a positive recognition and a decision in the enlargement process by the European Union. This is why last year, it was crucial to get candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is why we have to have clusters opened, we have to have IGCs, we have to move forward with each and every single one of them whenever the conditions are met. So on our side, we also have to speed up. This is what we try to do through the new methodology. But judging the political landscape – and this is a footnote from me – this might not just be enough. So we might even have to be ready to make even bolder political decisions. And I hope that as we go into this year, more and more this will be common ground in all of the member states. The other big part that we could do is - I explained some of the big projects that we are doing under the Economic and Investment Plan – to deliver on the ground for the people of the Western Balkans, so that they see a difference when Europe is contributing. For example, we have inaugurated the first part of the of the railway projects – the biggest one, something where we have been strategically thinking – the Belgrade-Niš project that is EUR 2.2 billion of investments. Never seen before. But because of its existence, the people will know because they will use it every day, that this is from the European Union. And this will stay in the minds for generations. But for that you have to be relevant, and you have to be on the ground delivering for the people.
The EU delivering and staying relevant in the region I think is more pertinent than ever, because at the end of the day, the Balkan region is not in geographic isolation. There is Russia, there is China, countries that are very, very much trying to get a foothold in the region. Certainly, that must be on your mind and of concern to you.
Absolutely. And this is why our approach has always been from the very beginning that it is not a beauty contest, if you will. And I hear many leaders and politicians in Europe talking about the fact that well, we have competition on the Western Balkans and that we are not appreciated enough. This is not the right approach. My approach is different from very early on, and that is that you have to be there. You have to deliver, you have to be relevant. I mentioned this railway project – yes, we had huge competition from China, but we have outcompeted them. So this is the message: the European offer is always better. And this is what we should be working on.
Of course, with the many challenges that the world but in particular Europe is facing these days, there is also something to be said. Full membership, of course, is the goal, but deepening integration on issues like energy, climate, digital transition, perhaps even defense, without full membership, for the time being, is of essence. I take it there are also some concrete steps taken in close cooperation with the respective governments.
Absolutely. When we have designed the new methodology with which we have tried to breathe new life into the whole enlargement process very early on in the mandate – it was the beginning of 2020 – this was one of the key areas. So let's advance integration of the Western Balkans into our own policies in as many fields as possible. You have seen the roaming agreement coming about, you see them participating in our CSDP missions, you see them participating in almost all EU programs like the Horizon, or in Erasmus, or other programs. And there is more we could do. And we are working on something, we are not there yet, but you will see a new approach emerging also on that basis. So what is key is that, let's integrate the people of the Western Balkans, the economies of the Western Balkans as fast as we can, because through developing the Western Balkans already, prior to accession, will also speed up their possibility and capability to integrate into the European Union. And this is new compared to what we have seen with the previous large enlargement with the 10 countries. There this took place only after accession, and the first 10 years have been, because of this, "get to know" years marked with sensitivities, difficulties, we remember the debates about the Posted Workers Directive and so on, and we had many stories of that kind. What is key now is that we learn the lesson, which is we have to do much more before accession to get to accession as fast as we can.
You once said that offers work better than demands, what exactly did you mean by that?
Take the project I mentioned. We have put an offer on the table nobody can meet. We have put an offer on the table that is financially attractive, that is attractive in the technological state of the art, in the nature of what we can offer. So we have to be competitive, instead of trying to put pressure to choose us, because the Western Balkans, they do want to choose us. So there is no need to pressure them, but put an offer on the table that they will grasp immediately.
It is often said that certainly the European Union as a political project has evolved into something much bigger, obviously, throughout the decades. And people also say the EU is a community of values. If you are looking at the countries currently vying for membership or the candidate status, if you are looking at their progress as far as democratic institutions are concerned, and so on and so forth. Are you optimistic? Are you hopeful? Are you seeing a positive picture at the moment?
Look, this is an evolution that they are going through. And of course, I have really good examples, like the case of Albania and the reform of its judicial system. Definitely, we have really good stories to tell. But the road is long, and we still have a number of outstanding issues that needs addressing before the membership can become a reality. But the message I think has been very clear to the Balkan partners, that they have to do everything when it comes to the rule of law and fighting corruption and organised crime. And this is why this has been put front and centre of the new methodology that we have introduced, because this is the expectation of our member states as well, they do not want to have surprises after accession. And it is also a crucial element of any investors' climate, so there is no economic or social development without the rule of law reforms taken forward, as foreseen in the Copenhagen criteria.
You have been quite busy in the last four years. I think that is fair to say you have been throughout these countries and capitals like Sofia, always trying to make your case as Commissioner for enlargement. What are some of the concrete plans and goals that you still have for the rest of your mandate?
I have many, but I do not want to disclose them just yet. Let me put it this way. This year should be, I think a groundbreaking year when it comes to enlargement. And this year will, I hope, change in a very, very effective way, how we perceive and how we deliver enlargement. So I hope that this year we will see even more coming than what you have seen in the last couple of years.
