Merc warns Serbia: There can be no swing policy between Russia, China and Europe

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he wants the Western Balkan countries to be better integrated into the European Union (EU) as they strive for full membership, Deutsche Welle reported today.

The media outlet reports that leaders of European Union (EU) countries attended the annual EU-Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Montenegro, and that the bloc's expansion was at the top of the agenda.

After the summit, Merz said he was optimistic about the Franco-German initiative, which aims to inject new "momentum" into the accession process by creating incentives for faster reforms.

Deutsche Welle writes that host Montenegro leads the list of six candidate countries, which also includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Brussels sees EU enlargement as a response to new geopolitical challenges, including security and economic threats coming from Russia and China, as well as growing ambivalence towards the bloc from the United States (US), the text says.

Merc warns Serbia not to "swing between Russia, China and Europe"

Belgrade's path to EU accession also remains problematic due to close political ties with Russia and economic ties with China, according to Deutsche Welle.

During today's summit in Tivat, Merc called on Serbia to "clearly decide where it sees its future."

"There cannot be a swing policy between Russia, China and Europe," Merz said at the summit in Montenegro, adding: "When Serbia's answer is 'Europe', then Europe's answer will be 'Serbia'."

Enthusiasm for EU accession in Serbia has declined in recent years, with polls showing support below 50 percent, according to Deutsche Welle.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos recently singled out Serbia for its democratic "backsliding" under populist President Aleksandar Vučić, according to Deutsche Welle.

EU enlargement must be "faster"

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU needs to make "the enlargement process faster and more credible."

"Enlargement is a geostrategic imperative for us, as well as a long-term investment in our peace, our stability and our security," von der Leyen said, adding that the accession process must "become more dynamic."

The process of becoming a candidate country for EU membership takes many years, with candidate countries required to meet institutional and governance requirements through a multi-stage process, according to Deutsche Welle.

The French and German plan, supported by Merc, envisages that candidate countries be admitted as observers at meetings of EU bodies.

Merc said other incentives could include advanced integration into the Europayments Area or inclusion in a single tariff system for cross-border data roaming.

The German Chancellor said that people from the Western Balkan countries should receive a clear message that they are welcome in the EU.

"We will now start a gradual process," said Merz, emphasizing that the process needs to be accelerated.

"There will be no more excuses," he added.

Ahead of the summit in Tivat, French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the importance of the region for the EU in relation to energy and security issues, as well as migration routes.

He added that a candidate country that aligns with the EU according to certain criteria will be allowed to participate in certain formats of the bloc, such as Council meetings.

European Council President Antonio Costa, during a tour of the region in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, on Thursday ahead of the summit, said that enlargement in the Western Balkans is "the most important geopolitical investment that the European Union is making."

"This is not just an opportunity; it is a geostrategic necessity for Europe. And that is why we must work harder and faster," he added.

Merc interested in incentives

Merz wants to encourage the Western Balkan countries to remain committed to their EU accession plans and to discourage them from entering into economic partnerships with Russia and China out of frustration in the meantime.

The incentives are also designed to compensate candidates for what some see as preferential treatment given to Ukraine, for which Merck has proposed accelerated "associate membership" or "light EU membership" — although this falls short of President Volodymyr Zelensky's demands for full membership.

"Merc wants Kiev to be given the newly defined status of associate member. Despite Ukraine's insistence on rapid full status, this is much more — and much faster — than any Balkan country. Faster access to the EU market and observer status in EU institutions are designed to compensate for Ukraine's preferential treatment," reports Mikaela Kifner of Deutsche Welle, who accompanied the German delegation to Montenegro.

The chairman of the German parliamentary foreign affairs committee, David McAllister of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told the DPA agency this week that Berlin was determined to avoid "dangerous gray zones" in the Balkans where other global powers could exploit the absence of a strong EU presence.

"Stability in the Balkans means stability for the whole of Europe," he said, citing lessons from history when major conflicts (World War I 1914–1918 and the Balkan Wars of the 1990s) had their roots in the region.

"We can provide economic, financial and political support, but, ultimately, the necessary reforms must be adopted by national governments and parliaments," McAllister stressed.