– One of the key objectives of Hungary’s EU presidency was to advance the European integration of Western Balkan countries. What kind of support did the Hungarian presidency provide?
– The Hungarian presidency was truly committed and worked hard to advance the integration of the Western Balkan region out of its deadlock, and it has been successful, particularly in the cases of Albania and Montenegro.
We owe Hungary immense gratitude for its persistence in keeping Serbia's EU accession on the agenda, even at times when it appeared that many member states, primarily citing political reasons, remained opposed to it.
We must clarify one thing: Serbia is indeed ready to take the next step, as confirmed by three European Commission country reports. However, unfortunately, some Baltic and other major member states have periodically placed new political obstacles in Serbia’s way. These challenges persisted even in the latter half of the year. Nevertheless, due to Hungary's presidency, extensive groundwork was carried out behind the scenes. For example, Hungary proposed – and Serbia agreed – to draft a so-called "non-paper," an additional document in which Serbia made concrete commitments to fulfill certain obligations as soona s possible, by the end of January, to ensure progress. This was vital because stagnation in the process is negative, as it will only fuel Euroskepticism.
This was the breakthrough which enabled an agreement at the last minute, just before the Christmas holidays, resulting in a letter approved by all member states. This letter requested Serbia to submit its remaining negotiating positions on the chapters within the so-called Chapter 3 cluster.
This is a huge step forward, because it means that the Chapter 3 cluster will indeed be opened, as everyone's agreed to this.
– This is expected in February, at least this is what Tanja Miscsevics, Serbia’s integration minister, told the most recent meeting of the Integration Committee. What does opening Chapter 3 mean?
– It pertains to competitiveness and growth, primarily focusing on economic issues. It also has a social policy aspect, but the major hurdle was the so-called information society, which is also part of these chapters.
But I think the specific topic is less important than the fact that this breaks a three-year deadlock in opening new chapters. If this happens this year, it could pave the way for opening Chapters 2 and 5 as well.
Since then, the head of the EU Directorate for Enlargement has visited Serbia, where specific dates were finalized. Serbia is slightly behind on some deadlines outlined in the "non-paper," but I hope the delay will be no more than one or two weeks. If we can finalize this during the parliamentary session planned for late January or early February, the intergovernmental conference expected at the end of February could see this cluster opened. The European Council and member states plan to hold a significant number of intergovernmental conferences this year, around twenty. Three are planned for Serbia, signaling a pivotal moment in the process.
– Brüsszelből ugyanakkor nagyon sokszor azt hallottuk, hogy az Oroszország elleni szankciók elmulasztása miatt büntetik Szerbiát. Belgrád ugyanis nem hajlandó arra, hogy büntetőintézkedéseket vezessen be Moszkvával szemben. Most ettől eltekintenek? At the same time, we’ve often heard from Brussels that Serbia is being penalized for its refusal to impose sanctions against Russia. Belgrade has consistently declined to implement punitive measures against Moscow. Will this no longer be the case?
– Specifically, no. Convincing the Baltic states was not easy. The major obstacle now was the opening of Chapter 3, particularly one negotiating chapter within it, which pertains to the information society. Some member states have placed great emphasis on fulfilling commitments related to media freedom, but improving nd modifying electoral conditions is also a key prerequisite. Here in Serbia, we've established a working group with a view to addressing these issues, specifically to revise the electoral register, and it introduced two legislative proposals. We've had the hearings in Serbia's parliament and the issue will soon be on the agenda of the plenary session. So meeting these two minimum requirements will allow member states to greenlight the opening of the cluster.
– Since the war began, Serbia has not changed its foreign policy and continues to reject sanctions.
– Serbia will not change its foreign policy now and will not impose sanctions on Russia. It is also clear to everyone that this is not mandatory.
While Serbia's alignment with EU foreign policy is not at 100% and the numbers are unfortunately not ideal, as things stand, Serbia is unlikely to face any significant obstacles even if it continues to reject sanctions against Russia.
Cover Photo: Elvira Kovacs, Deputy Speaker of the Serbian Parliament
