Heraldo de Madrid - EU leaders push faster expansion at Balkan summit

During the EU-Western Balkans Summit, senior bloc figures repeatedly pushed the need to speed up the accession process for candidate countries -- including six Balkan nations.

"We must make the enlargement process faster and more credible," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the small town of Tivat, best known for its superyacht-lined port.

"Enlargement is for us a geostrategic imperative, as well as a long-term investment in our peace, our stability and our security," von der Leyen said, acknowledging that the accession process had to "become more dynamic".

- 'Gradual integration' -

After decades of back-and-forth over the future membership of Balkan candidates, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 reinvigorated Brussels's interest in expansion.

Since the war began, both Ukraine and Moldova have joined the queue of countries seeking accession alongside the Balkan hopefuls: Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

France and Germany seized on the Tivat meeting to push the idea of "gradual integration" into the bloc, which currently has 27 member nations.

"Together with Germany we have proposed a strengthened gradual integration process," French President Emmanuel Macron told journalists as he arrived at the summit.

He said that the proposal could mean that a country that aligns itself with the EU on certain criteria would be allowed to join certain bloc formats, for example, attending European Council meetings.

"A merit-based process does not mean a slow process; it means that, on the side of the EU institutions as well as on the side of the candidate states, everyone must work faster and harder, and that is our commitment," European Council President Antonio Costa said during the final press conference.

Among the Balkan countries needing to better align with EU policies is Serbia, which remains close to Moscow and has never imposed sanctions on Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022.

"Serbia has an open path towards the European Union. However, Serbia must also decide where it stands. A policy of hesitation between Russia, China and Europe is not possible," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

But its leader assured from the summit that his country is on "the path to the EU".

"This is our strategic objective," said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who conceded that many reforms were still needed.

- 28 by 2028? -

Although Brussels has long said all the remaining Balkan nations would be accepted together, Montenegro and Albania are increasingly emerging as the frontrunners to join the bloc first, pulling ahead of countries like Serbia and Bosnia, which lag on the required reforms.

"Montenegro's accession as the 28th member state by 2028 is within reach," said von der Leyen.

"We hope that Albania will follow quickly and that the entire region will continue to move closer to our union."

D.Ferrer--HdM