http://www.worldpress.org/Europe/3280.cfm
The Endless Marathon : Brussels Assesses Progress in the Balkans
Risto Karajkov
December 15, 2008
The Berlaymont is a European governmental building in Brussels, Belgium. It
houses the European Commission headquarters. (Photo: Ellen Rooney / Getty
Images)
The European Commission (EC) annual reports on would-be members brought a
mixture of hope and bitterness in the Balkans, after being published early
last month. Brussels regularly assesses the progress of aspirant countries
in meeting the conditions for membership and hands out the carrot or the
stick accordingly. Countries are commended for progress and promoted in the
process, or criticized for lack of reforms and passed for rewards.
Croatia had much to be content with this year. It got a clear sign it can
complete the negotiations for membership by the end of 2009, which
theoretically can make it an EU member by 2011. There was a last minute
chill with the high profile assassination of a journalist, Ivo Pukanic,
founder of weekly Nacional, in the capital Zagreb just days before the
reports were published, but the damage was controlled after all.
Serbia was waved a big carrot, but it can only taste it next year if
continues to behave. In the words of Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn,
Belgrade could get the status of a candidate country by end 2009, in a “best
case scenario. This year Serbia did very good. It arrested a war
criminal-turned – spiritual healer, Radovan Karadzic; voted democrats as
opposed to hard -core radicals, and essentially behaved when Kosovo declared
independence.
It is Macedonia – EU candidate country since 2005 - who got a serious rebuke
by the Commission. Brussels told her bluntly – and it rarely uses direct
language - that it does not meet the political criteria for membership. Thus
the country did not get the date for start of membership negotiations it
hoped for. Skopje made a lot of progress in the economy lately, but failed
miserably in the early elections in July. They were sham, marred by violence
and irregularities. It may well be just the action of a few political
scoundrels and not reflect the overall political culture (does it not
really?), but political leaders should get it in their heads that this is
just not acceptable.
Bosnia started the year well and made a step closer to the EU by signing a
Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Brussels, but the car
went downhill since. Rising nationalism has again been threatening to
disrupt its fragile fabric. Senior statesmen have warned recently that
Bosnia is at risk. The West needs to watch over. Speeding up its accession
process could help, but that also needs firm political will in Brussels, not
just reforms and progress on the part of the candidate. Such will is not
visible at present.
Albania and newly founded Montenegro - declared independence in 2006-
received moderate commendation for their efforts. Brussels said the
implementation of their SAA’s went smoothly. The next step for them would be
to obtain candidate status, but that carrot is not yet at reach.
Finally there is Kosovo, which is quite new to the race. It is too early to
tell. Pristina only declared (a highly contested) independence earlier this
year. It will take her some time.
It is often said every country runs the race alone. Alas, that’s way too
simple. There is a dispute of how many runners there actually are in the
case of Serbia and Kosovo, and the referee, who watches the finish line, is
also not sure. They are bound to trip over.
Commissioner Rehn said recently that 2009 could be an important year for the
Balkans, provided optimistic predictions come true. It would be about time.
Croatia aside, all the others are in a race with a finish line nowhere in
sight.
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