With EU enlargement, it’s two big steps forward for Ukraine, but a more dubious one for the Western Balkans

Summary:

The European Union's (EU) enlargement process has been the constant talk of the town since the European Commission delivered its annual Enlargement Package in November 2023. There have been three significant developments of real significance to acknowledge, two on Ukraine which are excellent, the third concerning the Western Balkans which is not quite right yet and requires some additional work.

The first was the European Council’s decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine. The second was the agreement on the €50 billion aid package for Ukraine, agreed unanimously when Viktor Orbán unexpectedly decided not to wield his veto – a result that highlights the merits of sustained diplomacy, rather than condemning Hungary’s prime minister as a paid-off pariah.

The third is the Commission proposal for a Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, with fresh financial incentives offered for reform measures, but – worryingly –  with no apparent linkage to the formal enlargement methodology. This is an error that should be rectified, sooner rather than later.