At the 19th Bled Strategic Forum, Serbia’s Prime Minister Miloš Vučević assured us that there’s no Plan B when it comes to joining the EU—he even referenced last year’s “Bled cream pie” prediction of 2030 as a target date.
Ursula von der Leyen, ever the optimist, reminded us at Bled that she wants a strong Europe, with Ukraine and the Western Balkans neatly bundled inside. Fast forward to October in Tivat, where another “team-building” event—this time the Brdo-Brijuni summit—saw regional leaders, including Serbia’s President Vučić, once again confirm the EU dream for the Balkans. Of course, there were some verbal scuffles, but hey, at least they agreed on Europe. Dubrovnik followed with the “Ukraine-Southeast Europe” summit, where Vučić reiterated the same tune—EU membership is just around the corner, this time with Ukraine also in the picture.
Ursula von der Leyen reminded us at Bled that she wants a strong Europe, with Ukraine and the Western Balkans neatly bundled inside
Finally, the cherry on top: the 10th anniversary of the “Berlin Process,” Angela Merkel’s fading initiative that Olaf Scholz is now attempting to revive. The Western Balkans receive EU support and funds, but these summits are starting to feel like the crowds at the Belgrade Book Fair—giving the illusion of something bigger, like widespread reading. As the German media puts it, the Western Balkans are inching towards the EU at a tortoise’s pace.
Scholz said he hopes it won’t take another decade for the region to join, while von der Leyen assured everyone that EU enlargement is a top priority. But for those tired of waiting, this “encouragement” is starting to sound a lot like cynicism.
Austrian diplomat Wolfgang Petritsch, during the heyday of the Berlin Process, suggested that Europe should “emotionally accept” the Balkans to shed their negative connotations. Until that happens, the Western Balkans remain Europe’s “soft underbelly”—a security risk that won’t disappear until full membership finally arrives.
