The Western Balkans’ European integration process has been set in motion again thanks to changed geopolitical circumstances, but its outcome remains uncertain until declarative commitment to European values is translated into genuine respect for the rule of law, democratic standards and a responsible approach to the past, was the conclusion of the latest episode of the Centre for Civic Education’s (CCE) programme Citizens’ Angle on TVE. In the discussion on the achievements and obstacles on Montenegro’s and the region’s path towards the European Union, as well as on how prepared the Union itself is to deliver on its side of the bargain, Zvezdana Kovač of CCE spoke with Vladimir Međak, Vice President of the European Movement in Serbia and former chief legal adviser on Serbia’s negotiating team, and Jovana Marović, member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) and former Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro.
Evropske integracije Zapadnog Balkana pokrenute su sa mrtve tačke zahvaljujući promijenjenim geopolitičkim okolnostima, ali njihov ishod ostaje neizvjestan sve dok se deklarativna posvećenost evropskim vrijednostima ne pretoči u stvarno poštovanje vladavine prava, demokratskih standarda i odgovoran odnos prema prošlosti, zaključak je nove emisije Centra za građansko obrazovanje (CGO) Građanski ugao na TVE, u kojoj su o dometima i preprekama na putu Crne Gore i regiona ka Evropskoj uniji, ali i o tome koliko je sama Unija spremna da isporuči svoj dio obaveza, sa Zvezdanom Kovač iz CGO-a razgovarali Vladimir Međak, potpredsjednik Evropskog pokreta u Srbiji i bivši glavni pravnik u pregovaračkom timu Srbije, i Jovana Marović, članica Savjetodavne grupe za Balkan u Evropi (BiEPAG) i bivša ministarka evropskih poslova Crne Gore.
Assessing the current state of European integration, the interlocutors agreed that the process has ‘broken the deadlock’, but that its outcome remains uncertain.
“The geopolitical shift, above all Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, jolted the EU out of its standstill and led Member States to understand that enlargement to the Western Balkans, and perhaps to Ukraine as well, is actually a security issue for them”, Međak said, adding that the process is moving in the right direction, particularly for Montenegro and Albania.
Jovana Marović stressed that today there is a sense that membership is ‘perhaps possible’, but that this does not mean the process has become any simpler. “We are still reconsidering the framework and the model, and the key questions remain – whether the Union should deepen first and widen afterwards. We are even hearing announcements that some form of second-tier membership may be considered”, she warned. Marović explained that European capitals still have to be ‘constantly asked’ whether accession will actually follow if all the conditions are met, which places a considerable burden on the process.
A particular part of the discussion focused on reactions to the death of Ratko Mladić and his funeral with state honours in Serbia, which served as a kind of ‘litmus test’ of the value orientation of Serbia, Montenegro and the EU.
Marović assessed that the broad parliamentary majority in Montenegro, presented as an advantage for the integration process, is also part of the problem. “The EU is not merely a set of technical rules to be fulfilled on paper and voted through Parliament – above all, those laws have to be implemented, and certain European values have to be lived”, she said, noting that around 30% of Montenegrin citizens say they share European values, while too little is said about their substance – respect for the rights of others and a clear stance on war crimes. “We all failed the Mladić test. Serbia failed first, then the EU, but, to my greatest regret, Montenegro failed as well”, Marović stressed, recalling the condolences that Speaker of Parliament Andrija Mandić sent to the Mladić family, as well as other reactions by political actors in Montenegro.
From Serbia’s perspective, Vladimir Međak said that the European Union’s reaction to the funeral was ‘completely inappropriate’, noting that the EU ‘spent one day pretending it had not happened, and the next day tried to smooth it over’. According to him, public opinion in Serbia has changed significantly under the influence of regime-controlled media, and he linked the glorification of war criminals to ‘14 years of anti-Western rhetoric and propaganda’. “If the European Commission, which is supposed to oversee the accession process, does not do its job, you end up in a situation where a candidate country is no longer regarded as a democratic state”, Međak warned. He also recalled that the Croatian Parliament recently observed a minute of silence for the finally convicted war criminal Slobodan Praljak. “When the EU remains silent about that in a Member State, the question is at what point it can react at all to protect certain basic values”, he stressed.
Asked about a possible vote of no confidence in the Speaker of Parliament, Marović said that such an outcome would send a message of respect for the judgments of international courts, although she does not believe it will happen. “PES is trying to present itself as a centrist party while at the same time protecting the position of the Speaker of Parliament, which could become a problem during the ratification of the accession treaty in Member States”, she said.
Commenting on Prime Minister Milojko Spajić’s statement that Montenegro’s European integration process is being undermined by ‘two countries’, which was interpreted as an implicit reference to Serbia, Marović said that the Prime Minister should not make such claims without concrete information and response mechanisms. “Concrete information should be presented, specific actions should be taken, and the public should be clearly informed”, she said. Međak, on the other hand, assessed that the statement has some basis, noting that Montenegro’s success on its European path would call into question the Serbian authorities’ narrative that ‘nothing will come of enlargement’. “If Montenegro finishes the job and signs the accession treaty, the entire narrative of the authorities in Serbia falls apart”, he said, adding that this puts Belgrade in an unenviable position because it then has to explain why it is not in the same position as Montenegro with regard to Kosovo and relations with Russia.
Speaking about the announced parliamentary elections in Serbia, Međak assessed that a change of government is possible, but that the conditions for free and fair elections currently do not exist. He pointed to problems with the separation of powers, the functioning of institutions and the voter register, concluding that he expects a highly irregular electoral process. In that context, the interlocutors also reflected on the position of the student movement in Serbia. Its „catch-all’ political approach, focused on corruption and institutions rather than explicit positions on Kosovo and the Srebrenica genocide, was cited as one possible reason for weaker international and regional support compared with the earlier period. Marović also emphasised the EU’s responsibility, saying that it „has still not given up on Vučić“ and recalling that the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is an associate member of the European People’s Party (EPP). “As long as that remains the case, there can be no recovery for the region as a whole”, she concluded. Međak noted that he himself had previously called for SNS to be expelled from the EPP.
As for the EU’s own readiness for new members, Marović highlighted as a positive development the establishment of an ad hoc group to draft Montenegro’s accession treaty, describing it as “not merely a technical step, but a strong political message that Montenegro’s accession could happen in the near future”. She identified the European Council meeting on 15 October and the European Commission document on reforming enlargement policy as important upcoming moments, while expressing concern about the possibility that future members could have some rights restricted.
Međak agreed that Brussels is sending signals that preparations for the final steps are under way, but rejected the idea of formally freezing negotiations with Serbia. As an alternative, he advocated political measures against SNS within the EPP which, in his view, would direct responsibility towards the ruling party rather than the state and its citizens, and would not leave the next government having to fight to regain a status Serbia has already secured.
Addressing concerns among some Member States about the veto rights of new members, Međak recalled that unanimity applies only in a limited number of areas – enlargement, foreign policy and the budget – while 99% of decisions are adopted by qualified majority. He compared the current ‘widening or deepening’ dilemma with similar debates from the 1990s. “The question is not whether the European Union has everything it needs for enlargement. The question is whether it wants to”, he said, adding that, for example, EU enlargement to Montenegro would cost Union citizens only a few euros per year.
The interlocutors also referred to the example of Iceland as a warning about the EU’s longstanding weakness in communicating enlargement policy. Marović recalled the message she recently delivered before the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs: “If Montenegro delivers, the European Union must deliver too.”
The full programme is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp5bFunMiGU
Citizens’ Angle is a joint production of CCE and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). The content of the programme is the sole responsibility of the participants.
Maja Marinović, Programme Associate