A Clear Policy is Needed
The election results in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the outcome of the referendum in Macedonia show that the EU must act more purposefully and strategically in Southeast Europe. A commentary by Karl von Habsburg.
The story unfolded some time ago. The then Turkish Foreign Minister asked a counterpart from a major EU country about his country’s interests in the Balkans. The reply was that they had no interests. To which the Turkish Minister responded that this was good, because Turkey did have interests in the Southeast European region.
The integration of the six Southeast European countries still outside the EU into the European Union is clearly in Europe’s geopolitical interest. However, those who have interests must clearly declare them and act in a targeted manner. Simply sending money alone has nothing to do with targeted action. It’s like buying unnecessary and expensive toys for children just to keep them quiet for a short time, when what they really need is clear guidance from their parents.
Two recent election results in Southeast Europe unequivocally underscore the necessity of a clearer EU policy. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, the elections – moreover, held under an electoral law deemed unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court – brought the expected confirmation of the nationalist parties. While there will be personnel changes in the three-member State Presidency, these will only cement the existing situation. The necessary reform impetus cannot be achieved this way. Before the elections, individual parties massively ‘invented’ jobs (created would be the wrong word) within the already excessively bloated state apparatus and state-owned enterprises to secure votes.
This is clearly the wrong path. The EU is disunited and pays the price.
In Macedonia, a referendum on settling the name dispute with Greece fails because the former ruling party boycotts the referendum for purely party-political reasons and with nationalist arguments.
The agreement should have led to an end of the blockade by Greece, as the EU state committed itself in the agreement to support Macedonia’s accession to NATO and the EU.
Certainly, the EU made many promises, failed to keep them, and allowed Greece’s blocking stance to continue, even though it could have exerted pressure. A certain degree of Macedonian scepticism was therefore justified.
China, Russia, and Turkey show how a clear policy can achieve something in the region. And the EU?
The article originally appeared on Karl von Habsburg’s website.
