Jakšić: Serbia does not deserve to be in the European Union

(Patria) - Serbia's Euro-integration process is not progressing, which is a consequence of what has been done for a whole decade, says foreign policy commentator Boško Jakšić, assessing that Vučić's proposal for the entire Western Balkans to join the EU collectively is undermining other partners, primarily Montenegro and Albania.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated yesterday that at a meeting with European Commission President Von der Leyen and European officials, he proposed that the entire Western Balkans join the EU together, adding that when he presented this idea at the meeting, they listened to him like polite people, but said nothing on the matter.

Foreign policy commentator Boško Jakšić, speaking on TV N1, says that Vučić's message is undermining other partners.

"Primarily undermining Albania and Montenegro, which deserved to join earlier with their reform demands. And Vučić now, it seems to me, motivated by his own ego - 'how is it possible that someone joins the EU before the country that is the leader in the region, and that is Serbia'. So, they are more successful. And now you are dragging them so they wait until Serbia is ready for the EU," Jakšić explains.

He assesses that Serbia does not want to prepare for the EU, and that Vučić is demonstrating this with his policies.

"This is confirmed by the writings of regime media over the past decade. So, why should anyone wait for Serbia now, which does not want it? Ultimately, that proposal is completely contrary to the EU's policy. The EU's Growth Plan, a program of six billion euros by 2027, clearly states that countries that reform successfully and quickly will be financially rewarded. Albania recently received 100 million euros precisely on that basis, due to rapid reforms. We received nothing, we didn't deserve it. Why would we? So, we are deprived of funds from this plan, and then someone will say - 'it's a conspiracy in the EU, they just don't give us money, look how they give it to Albania, look how they give it to Montenegro'," Jakšić states.

Because of all this, he says, Serbia as it is does not deserve to be in the EU on any important parameter.

"Serbia has not opened a single chapter for four full years, it has no chance of opening cluster three, according to all indications, because the opposition from certain member states of the Union to this is still very active. At the same time, you have Montenegro, which opened all chapters in 2020. How can we explain the fact that Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia have fully aligned their foreign policy with Brussels' foreign policy, while Serbia is only slightly over 60 percent aligned? How can we explain the fact that in Albania, over 80 percent of the population supports EU membership, while this percentage in Serbia is only around 30. These are all consequences of what has been done for a whole decade," he stated.

He assesses that the conversation between Aleksandar Vučić and Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels could not have been pleasant at all.

"It would have been pleasant under the condition that neither the President of the European Commission nor the President of the European Council asked those unpleasant questions, which they hinted at during previous visits here, that they expect a report from Vučić, some kind of report on what he has done regarding important demands - the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption, alignment of foreign policy, etc. We see that nothing has been done about it. REM - promised, then not fulfilled. Some election law was passed, but we saw in the recent local elections that it is absolutely not being implemented in practice. Therefore, Serbia as it is, I am sorry to say, does not deserve to be in the EU on any important parameter," says Jakšić.