Paneuropa: Giving South-East Europe a Perspective (Press Release)
Europe and Austria must be good partners to the six Western Balkan states to ensure medium-term stability and prosperity for both sides
On the occasion of today’s meeting between EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Federal President Alexander van der Bellen, which addressed enlargement policy among other topics, the President of the Paneuropa Movement, Karl von Habsburg, recalls the essential importance of the South-East European region for the whole of Europe.
“Without peace in the Balkans, there is no peace in Europe,” Habsburg warns urgently. Stability and prosperity in South-East Europe are therefore in the European Union’s very own interest, even if this is not always clear to everyone.
However, this requires a clear European perspective for those South-East European countries that are not yet members of the European Union. “Austria and the EU must prove themselves to be constructive and reliable partners here,” Habsburg demands.
And this is entirely out of self-interest: “If we provide our partners with too little support, a political and social disaster will follow. Either they receive no help at all and fall behind, or someone else helps them, to whom they will then be more closely tied than to us,” says Habsburg, pointing to the logical laws of political action.
Austria enjoys an excellent reputation in the countries of South-East Europe – due to historical connections, a far-sighted policy under Foreign Ministers such as Dr Alois Mock, and also the Paneuropa Union under the leadership of Otto von Habsburg.
“Austria in particular must recognise and exercise its position as a strong ally of the South-East European states as a responsibility. This also means providing stronger support to the six Western Balkan states of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia on their path towards membership,” Habsburg demands.
