‘We dragged EU enlargement out of the ditch it was left in,’ Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi tells Euronews
By Euronews Brussels bureau
Did the European Union forget about its neighbours?
Yes, it did. That’s according to Olivér Várhelyi, the current European Commissioner for enlargement.
“The previous Commission started out by saying ‘no’ to enlargement,” Várhelyi told Euronews. “No wonder this has had an impact ever since. No wonder that people do remember that.”
Várhelyi was referring to the words of Jean-Claude Juncker, who shortly after being named president of the European Commission said enlargement would be frozen for at least five years.
When Ursula von der Leyen took up the reins, Várhelyi said, enlargement came back to the fore. Under her tenure, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Albania have all made strides in their accession bids.
“We have done everything, first of all, to drag enlargement out of the ditch which the previous Commission left it in. Second, to bring it back to the top of the political agenda,” the Commissioner said.
“And third, to focus not only on the institutional Brussels bubble (...) but to talk about the real issue. And the real issue is the real integration on the ground. So when can these countries catch up in terms of social and economic development with Europe? When can the people of these countries enjoy the same level of access to European markets?”
While von der Leyen’s team injected fresh momentum into enlargement, the big, strong push came when Russian troops invaded Ukraine on 24 February, Várhelyi said.
“The war has shown our more sceptical member states the importance and the need for Europe to secure its own neighbourhood. And securing our neighbourhood can be done in many ways, of course, through alliances and partnerships,” he said.
“But if you take the Western Balkans, which are surrounded by EU member states, it is a primarily European interest to integrate them fully.”
But not everything has been positive: Serbia, a long-standing candidate to join the bloc, has caused alarm across the bloc for its continued refusal to apply sanctions on Russia. Its lack of alignment on visa policy has been credited with fostering a new influx of migrants through the Western Balkans.
“One should not forget that Serbia is our ally. And we should treat Serbia as an ally,” Várhelyi said, noting the country’s “particular” situation in the region. “Yes, we will have to see a gradual and progressive alignment, but I'm very hopeful that this will come.”
Várhelyi himself has been accused of being too soft on Belgrade and the rule-of-law commitments that are necessary to advance accession talks, an accusation the Commissioner bluntly rejected.
“Accusing me of downplaying the rule of law.. How should I put it? Sounds more like a political game than a real and founded criticism,” he said.
Asked if he was acting as a properly neutral mediator, he quipped: “Why shouldn’t I see myself like that? Otherwise, I wouldn’t do the job.”
Throughout the interview with Euronews, Várhelyi made the case for enlarging the EU beyond the present 27 members, calling it an essential step to guarantee the continent’s "long-term peace."
“This is more fundamental,” he said. “This is about welcoming new members into our own structures. This is also about the internal politics of the European Union. And this is why these issues always have to be taken very seriously.”
So, who will be the next one to join the privileged club?
“I'm not dealing with predictions like this,” Várhelyi replied. “I do hope that we will have at least one country who will finish its accession negotiations by the end of my mandate.”
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The Briefing: Out of the ditch
