“You cannot have a relationship with Russia or maintain contacts as if nothing had happened and expect your country to be part of the EU. It’s one thing or the other.” That has been the warning from the high representative, Josep Borrell, to the eastern countries that are on the waiting list to join the community club when presenting the latest evaluation report after the boost that the enlargement process has received with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Removing these countries – Moldova, Georgia or the Western Balkans – from Moscow’s orbit is one of the objectives of the EU’s growth towards the east, beyond the benefits that a broader single market may have.
And the process is fraught with threats precisely because of the alignment of some of the governments, and societies of those countries, with Russia. Lately, the news for Brussels has not been good in that regard. In Georgia, where a pro-Russian party governs, elections were held in which that party once again won. The EU, with the exception of the far-right Viktor Orbán, has demanded transparency and that the “irregularities” during last Saturday’s elections be clarified in which they assure the European Commission that there was an “unprecedented” Russian interference with disinformation and “an harsh anti-European rhetoric.”
In December 2023, Georgia achieved the status of candidate country to join the community club, like Ukraine and Moldova, but the process is “de facto, paralyzed.” Among the issues demanded by Brussels is the withdrawal of the foreign agents law, which will facilitate the persecution of the opposition and NGOs.
Russian interference also occurred in the elections in Moldova, according to the Government of that country and the European Commission. The elections were held at the same time as a referendum to include the country’s entry into the European Union as a national objective in the country’s Constitution. The ‘yes’ won with a narrow margin (50.39% of the votes), despite the harmony that the president, Maia Sandu, has shown with the European leadership and the gestures of the European Commission towards that country, which just before the elections he showered with 1.8 billion euros.
Concern about pro-Russian positions also exists in the case of Serbia and this is stated in writing by the European Commission in its report. “Following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Serbia aligned itself with some EU positions in international forums (including the UN General Assembly). Serbia has continued to cooperate with the EU to circumvent sanctions and provide financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. However, it still does not align itself with any restrictive measures against the Russian Federation and has not aligned itself with the majority of the EU positions on the matter. “It has maintained high-level relations with the Russian Federation and intensified its relations with China, which raises questions about Serbia’s strategic direction,” states the document in which the European Commission pushes that country to “progressively” align itself with the EU. in foreign policy.
The warning is not trivial considering that the Hungarian far-right Viktor Orbán has become the EU’s biggest headache by blocking practically all foreign policy initiatives related to Ukraine and that require the unanimity of the member states. In fact, one of the issues on the table in the complicated expansion process is changing the community club’s own operating rules to eliminate that requirement. Orbán’s last challenge was precisely this week when he traveled to Tibilisi after the elections in Georgia, distancing himself from the position of the rest of the partners, who have framed their visit in the bilateral relations of those two countries.
As in the case of Moldova, the European Commission assures that negotiations with Ukraine “are progressing without setbacks.” However, the process of accession to the EU is complex, requires great efforts to adapt all the regulations of the candidate countries to the acquis communautaire and is a process that takes decades to complete. “The opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine has meant an important recognition of this country’s determination to continue reforms on the path to accession to the EU,” says the community government, which recalls that the negotiation of specific points will begin in 2025.
In the case of Albania, which is one of the countries that has been on the waiting list for the longest time, the European Commission considers “crucial that the authorities continue to intensify the pace of EU-oriented reforms, especially with regard to the State of Law, consolidating the record of law enforcement, effective fight against corruption and organized crime, and promotion of fundamental rights, including freedom of the media, property and minority rights. “In the case of North Macedonia, the country must continue to make progress in the implementation of EU-related reforms, in particular in the area of fundamental aspects, especially the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organized crime. It is necessary to reinforce confidence in the judicial system,” he points out.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina demonstrated tangible results, including migration management, full alignment with the EU common and foreign security policy, as well as the adoption of legislation on the integrity of the judiciary, the fight against money laundering money and conflicts of interest. In March 2024, the European Council decided to start accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Commission is preparing the negotiating framework with a view to its adoption by the Council when all the relevant steps established in the Commission’s October 2022 recommendation are taken,” says the community government.
“Kosovo submitted an application for EU membership in December 2022. The Commission remains ready to prepare an opinion on Kosovo’s application for membership as soon as the Council requests it. Progress was made in the fight against organized crime and the business environment improved. Visa liberalization for Kosovo came into force on January 1, 2024. Kosovo must intensify its efforts to strengthen the rule of law and public administration and protect freedom of expression,” summarizes Brussels about that country, which has an extra complication in the process because there are countries, like Spain, that do not recognize it.
In the case of Turkey, which asked to join in 1987, the process has been practically paralyzed since 1987. Borrell has admitted that there has been a “negative spiral” that has given it “a lot of work” in recent years, but that progress has been made in collaboration on some issues, such as migration. “Serious concerns remain in the areas of fundamental rights and the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary. Dialogue on the rule of law and fundamental rights remains an integral part of the EU-Türkiye relationship. Following the strategic orientation of the European Council of April 2024, relations with Turkey have been characterized by a gradual resumption of contacts and concrete steps have been taken towards constructive exchanges on issues of common interest,” says the community executive.
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