Just as Emmanuel Macron is softening his approach to EU enlargement, a fresh obstacle has emerged in Germany
European Union long ago fell out of fashion. No country has joined since Croatia became the 28th member, in 2013. As the leaders of Hungary and Poland attack the independence of their judiciaries it seems quaint to argue, as many once did, that negotiating membership would instil democratic habits in countries with long memories of dictatorship. How much harder to make the case in the Balkans: Kosovo and Serbia are at daggers drawn, and Bosnia is an ungovernable mess.
But a happier story is unfolding in the country known, since February, as North Macedonia. After years of authoritarian misrule the new government, led by Zoran Zaev, has started tackling corruption and reforming the judiciary. In an unhappy region, the country’s Slavic majority and Albanian minority enjoy good relations. And last year Mr Zaev’s government signed the Prespa agreement with Greece, ending a destabilising dispute over the country’s name.
Opposition to the talks has come in part from France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, who argues that theshould concentrate on deeper integration rather than adding new members. History, however, suggests that there is not necessarily a trade-off between these goals. On the contrary, previous waves of widening have in the view of many required more deepening.
Other opponents of widening argue against admitting more eastern European countries in which democracy and the rule of law are weak. Bulgaria’s accession, it is said, has allowed its numerous criminal gangs free access to the union. That is a fair objection for Albania, with which the commission is also proposing membership talks after its progress in other areas. But not for North Macedonia which has been doing well under Mr Zaev.bids at a meeting on June 18th.
Such treatment would be shabby, and dangerous. North Macedonia’s opposition is ready to pounce at any sign of failure. And by autumn Greece may well have a new centre-right government that will face strong pressure from anti-Prespa voters to stall the talks. More broadly, for theto break its promise to one Balkan state will boost leaders in others who say the Europeans cannot be trusted, and other powers sniffing around, from Russia to China to Turkey, will take note.
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