Traveling to Bratislava on Wednesday May 31, Emmanuel Macron publicly supported the integration of the Balkan countries into the European Union. On this subject, the French president has changed his mind.
Should new members be welcomed into the European Union? For a long time, for Emmanuel Macron, the answer was no. The French president knows all too well the blockages, the disagreements in Brussels: difficult to agree at 27 and unthinkable to add new chairs around the table. “[Avec les Balkans, l’objectif n’est pas] an enlargement process. It is a choice of investment in economic, educational, linguistic matters in these countries, said Emmanuel Macron four years ago. It’s a strategic agenda that you have to have, with partners, not necessarily future members”. Very firm position, therefore, in October 2019 but Wednesday, May 31, change of tone for the French president. He was in Bratislava, Slovakia, for a forum on European security. From now on, for Emmanuel Macron, Europe must expand: “Yes it must expand, yes it must be rethought (…) it is the only way to meet the legitimate expectation of the Western Balkans (…) which must enter the European Union” claims Emmanuel Macron.
Welcome to the club, then, for the six Balkan countries knocking on the door: Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo. This change of foot is explained first of all by a certain realism. The French position of refusal had become a minority. Other states, Germany and Italy, are very much in favor of entering the Balkans, a region with which they have historical, cultural and commercial ties. But the main reason for this French change of mind is the war in Ukraine.
Return of the logic of blocks and spheres of influence
We must prevent Serbia, Bosnia and their neighbours, tired of finding the door closed in Brussels, from turning to Russia or China. But France still sets conditions. These memberships will take time; the candidate countries must approach the criteria required by Brussels on the rule of law and the fight against corruption. For France, it is undoubtedly necessary to review the rule of unanimity of all Member States, which is now compulsory on certain subjects such as taxation and defence. Paris wants to push the creation of a Europe at several speeds, several circles, “several formats”, in the words of the French president in Bratislava.
In short, for Emmanuel Macron: agree to enlarge the European Union… provided that it is no longer really the same.