Balkan

Roth: “No discounts” in EU-accessions

Germany and the European Union should lead the Western Balkan countries to the EU, says Minister of state Michael Roth. However, for the subjects of media freedom and corruption, it will go to the “Canned”.

Minister of state Michael Roth at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum in Bonn

DW: the themes of The Global Media Forum – the media, freedom, values – are in South-East Europe in recent years, against the Background of the refugee crisis and the problems in Greece are a little out of the view. In these countries is not necessarily everywhere Positive. What is your assessment of the Situation?

Michael Roth: The issues of media freedom, the rule of law and democracy play for us in the whole of Europe, and particularly in southeastern Europe, a Central role. The accession negotiations and the whole process of enlargement are very much focused on questions of democracy, the rule of law, strengthening civil society and combating corruption. But you have completely right when you say that we have not had to do in the past years, only with progress but also with significant Setbacks. Even more important is that we send out again and again signals to the population of the Western Balkan States: We stand by our commitment and want you to on the way to Europe, the hard and the people demanded much of support.

This strategy of the carrot and the stick does not seem to be very effective: on the one Hand, we have a strengthening of nationalism in the Western Balkans. There is also, in many countries the press. At the same time, the EU perspective depends, in the opinion of the people on the ground, a bit in the air. It is not necessary to readjust?

For one, there are already incentives, which are very important to persuade governments of the necessary reforms. I think here, for example, of the stabilisation and Association agreement with Kosovo, which has just come out a few weeks ago. This is a clear Signal. I also want to remind you of the Berlin conference (conference on the Western Balkans) and its follow-up conferences. Also in this year, in Paris, we will reaffirm the European perspective of the Western Balkans. This is not abstract rhetoric, but of concrete infrastructure projects for a better networking, and increased youth exchange in the Region. Because the citizens in the Western Balkans need to feel that Europe is more than technocracy in Brussels. It is a contribution to improve the quality of life specifically.

In Macedonia, people go for weeks on the streets against the government. At the weekend there was in Belgrade, and demonstrations, two weeks ago, also in Croatia. Everywhere one sees emerging citizen protests and a certain amount of fatigue not only to governments but partly also to the EU. The is a risk or a Chance?

A critical civil society is essential to a vital democracy. And I think it’s all well and good that citizens Express their Protest. In order to put politicians in all democratic States. We have expansion in a few weeks, the next conference in Paris, also once again signals for the infrastructure, for the youth exchange. The regional youth work, which will have its seat in Tirana, is finally launched. Germany is heavily involved. We want, however, is that especially the EU is increasing its visibility, especially in the negotiations in order to more democracy and the rule of law.

Anti-government protests in Macedonia

Serbia feels in the process of rapprochement to the EU by the Croatian Blockade hampered. This is a model that we know from other cases, such as Greece, Macedonia, and Slovenia. How is Croatia in this respect – or hold the Croatian’s concerns are justified?

At the end of the day, we have always found a workable compromise. Serbia knows that the key for further progress in the accession negotiations is the normalization of relations with Kosovo. Here there will be no political discounts. We are confident that we have found, with Croatia now a solution, the progress in the EU approximation for Serbia. Croatia is even ahead of the large tests. On the one hand, the country has a role model, because it belongs to the former Yugoslav Republic for years of the EU. On the other hand, I see but also in Croatia itself, big problems, especially social and economic. The high level of youth unemployment of 40 percent is appalling and the fighting allowed of no delay. This is also why we need stable conditions. In the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the political crisis must be overcome at last. Also in the crippling dispute over the name of the country I hope that we will finally have a step forward. The citizens deserve to have the leaders bring the Region forward. For this you need to be able to work and your homework.

You dare to make a prediction? When are the Western Balkan countries a step further – or perhaps even in the EU?

Specific dates are not adhered to, may not get us any further. And we see a lot of progress With Kosovo, the EU has established at the beginning of April, the stabilisation and Association agreement is the first contractual relations. Also in Bosnia and Herzegovina it is managed with the German-British Initiative to revive the reform process. The country has submitted in February, its EU membership application. Serbia and Montenegro are in the accession negotiations. Everything in our capabilities to lead the States in the EU, we contribute to the ready. Finally, it is about the people and their perspectives. The governments and the political leaders of the Western Balkan countries, it is largely in our own hands. In spite of the many crises with which we must currently deal with, we did not forget the Western Balkans. This impression would be, from my point of view, the worst of it. Not only Germany, but also in many other member States together with the Commission ready to take on more responsibility and to show presence.

And to keep the media in the view, so that pluralism is respected? Poland is the clearest example, but also in the Western Balkans, the pressure to increase public service media in the past few months.

Also, since there are no discounts. The partners must be clear: Who wants to be a member of the EU, the need to combat corruption, the need to guarantee the rule of law, strengthening of the independence of the media and of course also diversity of the media. These are not just hollow phrases, as it goes to the prize. We, as the EU is first and foremost a community of values and not a single market project.

The social democratic member of Parliament Michael Roth is Minister of state for Europe at the Federal foreign office.