AJB: Visegrad Group - The Sincerest Advocates of EU Enlargement to the Balkans

(Patria) - In most European Union countries, the “notorious” Visegrad Group (V4), consisting of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, adopted a declaration in Prague on the Western Balkans, confirming their unequivocal support for the region's accession to the European Union, stressing that the unification of Europe is not complete without the accession of the Western Balkans, Al Jazeera reported in a text titled “Visegrad Group: The Sincerest Advocates of EU Enlargement to the Balkans.”

Analysts who spoke to Al Jazeera believe that the support of the Visegrad Group countries for the region's countries is a good thing and that the declaration is a continuation of the old V4 policies and further evidence for the thesis that these states will be the sincerest advocates of EU enlargement to the Balkans.

Nikola Burazer, editor of the European Western Balkans portal, told Al Jazeera that the Visegrad Group countries have long supported the enlargement of the European Union to the Western Balkans, and it seems, he notes, that they have been paying even more attention to it recently, which could be seen during the Polish presidency of the Berlin Process.

“The support of the Visegrad Group countries for the Western Balkan countries is in itself a very good thing for the region. These four countries form an influential bloc in the European Union, and it is significant that there are member states that will firmly stand behind the idea of enlargement to the Western Balkans in order for it to happen. On the other hand, it is true that some of the Visegrad Group countries are currently seen as the ‘bad guys’ in the European Union and that there are problems precisely with democracy and the rule of law in them, which the EU insists on when it comes to enlargement. This may come as an encouragement to many who want to rule like (Viktor) Orban and at the same time join the European Union, but there are still 23 other countries that have a say in this,” Burazer said.

Political analyst Davor Gjenero told Al Jazeera that the Visegrad Group countries have always been firm advocates of enlargement.

Croatia, he points out, did not have stronger allies in its accession process than the Visegrad Group.

“It concluded its negotiations during the Hungarian presidency of the European Council, and Hungary's engagement in helping Croatia finish the negotiations was enormous. Poland, as the presiding country, was involved in drafting the Accession Treaty, as well as in supporting its swift ratification.”

“Administrations change, but the policy of supporting enlargement in these countries is permanent and stems from the interests of these countries. Current administrations in these countries will not last forever, and these countries are developing successfully and have an increasing influence on the functioning of the Union. Poland, for example, is no longer an underdeveloped country, and it is a huge European country. The four Visegrad Group countries have as many votes in the European Council as Germany and France combined. So, regardless of what anyone thinks or says, these are relevant European powers,” Gjenero believes.