Picula: Macron made a mistake, don't change the rules mid-game

European Parliament rapporteur for recommendations on the Western Balkans, Tonino Picula, expects that the year 2020 and the EU-Western Balkans summit in Zagreb will bring back credibility and momentum to the enlargement policy.

"I hope that the summit in Zagreb in May will be that great opportunity for the EU to strengthen its guarantees towards the Western Balkans and that a better atmosphere will provide additional momentum to the enlargement policy," Tonino Picula told DW.

Within the framework of the discussion on changing the methodology of the accession process to the Union, and ahead of the EU Western Balkans summit in Zagreb, the European Parliament appointed the European MP from the ranks of Croatian Social Democrats, Tonino Picula, as the rapporteur for recommendations on the Western Balkans. Brussels states that Picula's role is to concretize the stance and strengthen the role of the European Parliament in the debate on the EU enlargement policy, in which member states, as well as the European Commission and the Council, have been intensely involved in recent months.

"As the European Parliament rapporteur for recommendations on the Western Balkans, ahead of the summit in Zagreb in May 2020, I am working on a set of recommendations that will contain an objective overview of the evolution and results of the methodology of the current negotiation system. I will also integrate new proposals into the document that should contribute to new momentum for the now slowed-down EU enlargement policy in the third decade of the 21st century," explains Picula.

He adds that he will strive to identify proposals through discussions with a number of representatives of various institutions, organizations, and political options, i.e., in cooperation with both critics and supporters of the accession policy. At the same time, Brussels calls on all actors to maintain focus on the Western Balkans and work more dedicatedly on the preparations for the Zagreb summit, which is characterized as "crucial" for providing answers to all problematic issues within the enlargement policy.

The European Parliament rapporteur for recommendations on the Western Balkans assesses that French President Emmanuel Macron "made a mistake" by blocking the accession negotiations of Tirana and Skopje, but that he also "achieved the unplanned," which is to bring the EU's focus back to the issue of enlargement. He points out the fact that since the "French blockade," i.e., conditioning the accession negotiations of North Macedonia and Albania with the reform of the accession process, all the most significant EU institutions, as well as the highest officials of the Union, have supported the European perspective of the Western Balkans.

"The European perspective of the Western Balkans, i.e., the EU enlargement policy, is a strong tool for stabilizing this region, which has survived as many as five wars in the last thirty years," says Picula.

In addition to the new President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, who have already clearly advocated for the continuation of the European integration process of the Western Balkan countries at the beginning of their mandates, Tonino Picula also points to the significant support of EU member states.

"The importance of the enlargement policy is recognized by the major members of the Union, such as Germany and Italy, but also smaller ones, such as Austria, which have all been economically present in the region for decades, long before the last transition at the end of the eighties. These are all countries that have invested significant political, economic, and symbolic capital in enlargement. I believe that the internal political calculations of French President Macron will not suddenly change their focus," assesses Picula in a statement to DW.

Tonino Picula also emphasizes that during the discussion and consensus-building among member states on the reform of the enlargement policy, the European integration process of the region's countries must not be halted.

When it comes to the new accession methodology, on which member states are expected to agree during 2020, with the expectation that it will be finalized before the Zagreb summit, Picula first and foremost states the principle of not changing the rules of the game mid-game.

"The most important thing to say is that the initiated negotiation processes for accession with candidate countries for EU membership continue according to the same rules under which they were opened. This applies to Serbia and Montenegro," says Picula.

At the same time, as the EP rapporteur for Montenegro, Picula adds that he expects that country, as the leader of the accession process, to be "recognized for all that has been achieved" and that Podgorica will manage to close negotiations during his mandate.

"As I have already stated many times before, North Macedonia and Albania deserved to open negotiations," emphasizes Picula.

He assesses that the signing of the Prespa Agreement and its ratification was a "politically high-risk operation" in which the governments of Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras prioritized long-term stability in this part of Europe over their short-term benefits. According to him, it was a "historic step and a true statesmanship move" that resolved a dispute that had lasted for 27 years, and then opened the way for North Macedonia towards the European Union and NATO.

"Given all of the above, the question is the credibility of the European Union to allow them this under the conditions under which they started the process," concludes Picula.

As one of the principles that should be strengthened in the future methodology of the enlargement policy, Tonino Picula mentions the evaluation of candidate countries' progress based on individual merits and achievements.