The European project remains unfinished. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Western Balkans, where countries that have placed European integration at the centre of their political future are still waiting for the process to acquire real momentum.
“Enlargement is not only a technical matter, it is a strategic choice,” said European Liberal Forum President Jan-Christoph Oetjen MEP (FDP, DE), capturing the question at the heart of the annual EU Meets the Balkans forum in Sofia.
The forum brought together ministers, parliamentarians, experts and civil society from the region and across Europe, with both ALDE Party Vice-President Dan Barna MEP (USR, RO) and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos speaking at the event. But the discussion was about more than the mechanics of accession.
The fifth edition asked whether Europe is prepared to give enlargement the political weight it requires and whether candidate countries are prepared to meet the demands that come with it.
“The Balkans continue to carry unresolved conflicts and historical wounds. Therefore, bridges are needed, not new dividing lines,” said former ALDE Party co-President Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP (BG).
That means treating integration as a two-way process. The EU must show credible leadership, while candidate countries must deliver the reforms required for a genuinely merit-based process. Montenegro is a crucial first step, while the ambition of “28 by 28” gives the enlargement process a clear political direction.
The discussion in Sofia also extended beyond enlargement to Europe’s changing place in the world. The transatlantic relationship is evolving, new partners are emerging and Europe must prepare for a less predictable international environment.
As Kyuchyuk put it: “The EU cannot determine who will be the next US president, but it must be prepared for different scenarios. We should not expect a return to the relations of the time of Barack Obama – ‘Barack Obama 3.0’ will not happen.”
That is ultimately why keeping the Balkans on the EU agenda matters. For liberals, this is not a question to be left to technical negotiations alone. Europe’s future will also be shaped by whether we are willing to keep the door open, build the bridges and finish the project we started.
*This event forms part of ALDE Party’s political projects and has been co-funded with our member party based on each party’s degree of involvement in the project.