MEP Katlin Van Brempt for "Vijesti": No one in the EU trusts Vučić anymore

If a plane from Belgrade with a group of 87 men had not landed at Tivat airport, something different would have happened, because the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić used to having a great influence on the Western Balkan countries, and now feels that it is no longer working. For a long time there was a view that Vučić was not the democrat that the European Union (EU) would like, but that he was still a guarantor of stability. That is now over, because even the President of the European Commission (EC) no longer trusts him. Ursula von der Lajen - said the MEP Katlin Van Brempt.

In an interview with "Vijesti", she said that the charter flight with the thugs of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which landed in Tivat on Wednesday and was then promptly returned to Belgrade, is an indication of how difficult a position Vučić and his government are in.

"If it weren't for those 87 men on the plane, it would have been something else. Of course, when Montenegro becomes a member of the EU, and it will, it will further undermine Vučić's narrative that the EU does not want enlargement. We want enlargement. We believe that the entire Western Balkans belongs to Europe and that its future is in the EU. That is in direct contradiction to his narrative. I don't trust him," she said.

The Vice-President of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament (EP) said that Montenegro's entry into the EU should not be turned into a project of the ruling parties, but of all pro-European structures, including those in the opposition.

"Enlargement is essential for both the future of Montenegro and the future of the EU. Montenegro is a small country, but it represents the next step that will open the door to enlargement for many other countries," said Van Brempt.

Speaking about the intergovernmental agreement between Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the field of tourism and real estate, signed last year, the interviewee said that such an agreement could not have been signed if Montenegro were already a member of the EU, and that she thought that such an action by the Montenegrin government was not particularly smart.

"Investments must be legitimate, transparent and based on the rules of public procurement and market competition," she underlined.

Do you believe that Montenegro will become the next EU member by 2028, as the Government of Milojko Spajić hopes?

I absolutely and sincerely believe that Montenegro will become the next member of the EU, either alone or together with some other countries. Let's try to make it happen by 2028, but that's not a deadline. That's not how it works. We always say that it's a merit-based process. That sometimes sounds like a slogan, but what it really means is that everyone has to be ready and that the basic criteria have to be met.

For the EP and especially for my political group, the basic criteria are democracy, the rule of law and human rights. We can discuss whether all environmental regulations or internal market rules are fully implemented and there can be some flexibility, because sometimes it takes more time.

Did he really say that (Vučić, that the flight to Tivat was organized by someone from his entourage)? Interesting... it's usually not typical of him to take responsibility, right?

However, when it comes to basic principles, there is no negotiation or discussion. They are extremely important. We have a big challenge ahead of us. The government is preparing amendments to the Constitution, electoral legislation and similar issues. There is political momentum, but at the same time there is a certain political crisis in Montenegro. It is extremely important that the government and the ruling parties are aware of this.

Enlargement is essential for the future of both Montenegro and the future of the EU. Montenegro is a small country, but it represents the next step that will open the door to enlargement for many other countries. It is a truly fundamental step.

But above all, it is the choice of the citizens of Montenegro and let that be absolutely clear. It must not be a project of only the ruling parties. It must be a project of all pro-European parties, including the opposition. There are open issues regarding two laws, related to national security, and they must be resolved. It is being worked on on a platform, it is necessary to negotiate and reach an agreement, because this is a process of essential importance. Do not turn it into a narrow project of the ruling parties.

Do you believe that closing the chapter by the end of this year is a realistic goal or do you think it is too ambitious?

It is very difficult for me to assess this. If there is political will, it is possible. And that is a very important nuance. It is not just about passing laws. It is also about their implementation. I know this well because I come from a country where laws are often not implemented well enough and that creates a lot of problems.

European institutions can act strictly towards the citizens of Montenegro. Yes, we are strict, but we are equally strict towards the countries that are already members. I come from Belgium. We are often very slow in implementing European legislation and the EC is very strict towards us, we get fines and face proceedings for violating European rules because we are late in implementing regulations. So, democracy is not only about passing laws, it also implies their consistent application.

As we are having this conversation, the EU-Western Balkans Summit is taking place in Tivat, which had a kind of overture, when a plane carrying 87 men from Serbia landed at the airport there, and security services did not allow them to enter the country, citing national security reasons. Among the passengers were people who the public recognized as thugs of the Serbian Progressive Party regime and President Aleksandar Vučić. Vučić said that someone from his entourage organized the flight, but that it was a big political mistake...

Did he really say that? Interesting... it's not usually his style to take responsibility, is it? It's interesting because it shows how difficult a situation Vučić and his government are in right now. He is used to having a lot of influence in the Western Balkan countries, including Montenegro. He has used that influence to fuel ethnic divisions, nationalist sentiments, and anti-European sentiment. All of these things go together.

Now he feels that it is no longer working. That is why I am very proud of the citizens of Montenegro who want to move forward towards European integration. Not for our sake, but for their future. They no longer want to be part of the power play of people like Vučić. That is a very positive development.

Although Vučić rejected accusations that he is trying to destabilize Montenegro, do you think this was some kind of message to European officials that the situation in the Western Balkans depends on his mood? So, if he wants something to happen, it will happen?

Yes, but I don't think anyone believes that anymore. Not even Ursula von der Leyen. I don't think she believes that anymore either. There used to be that kind of thinking, especially in the Commission and partly in the Council. Not in the EP, which has been very critical of Serbia for years.

For a long time there was a view that he was not the democrat we would like him to be, that he was not leading Serbia in the right direction, but that he was still a guarantor of stability and that the alternative was chaos. That is why they continued to support him. That is over now. He feels it and knows it.

If it weren't for those 87 men on the plane, it would have been something else. Of course, when Montenegro becomes a member of the EU, and it will, it will further undermine Vučić's narrative that the EU does not want enlargement. We want enlargement. We believe that the entire Western Balkans belongs to Europe and that its future is in the EU. That is in direct contradiction to his narrative. I don't trust him.

Let's get back to the enlargement process. Your party is a member of the ruling coalition in Belgium. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has stated that he has a positive attitude towards EU enlargement, but that everything is conditional on reforms and meeting the necessary benchmarks. He is a proponent of the idea of ​​a two-speed Europe. What do you think about this idea and do you believe that Montenegro deserves full membership?

I believe that Montenegro deserves full membership. I am not against new ways of thinking. Yesterday I said that there is nothing good in dogmatism, in the sense of: “This is how we have done it so far, this is how we have always done it and this is how we will do it in the future.” If we think like that, the enlargement process will stop.

That's why it's good to think about flexibility. I've already mentioned that if a country is not yet ready to implement certain laws, it can get additional time. Not everything has to be perfect from day one. It may be necessary to introduce additional transitional periods. And these new thoughts do not apply to Montenegro, but mainly to Ukraine.

This would not be possible (signing an agreement with the UAE) if Montenegro were a member of the EU. You know that, don't you?

Montenegro is a small country, Ukraine is huge, it will not be easy to integrate it very quickly into all EU policies. Therefore, it is legitimate to think that it may need more time to join the common agricultural policy. So, I have no problem with certain areas requiring more time. It has always been that way.

But I don't like the idea of ​​second-class membership. We as a group of Socialists and Democrats do not accept the concept of second-class membership. A member is a member. If you are a member of the EU, you have to be part of the EP and the Council of the EU, because you cannot be subject to all these laws and decisions without having a say in them. That is also a question of democracy.

Political analysts familiar with the situation in Brussels say that Belgium will not place additional obstacles to Montenegro's membership in the European Union, unless France and the Netherlands do so. When the Accession Treaty comes before the Belgian Parliament, do you expect it to be ratified?

Yes. Sometimes the answer is simply - yes. Of course.

You are the Vice-President for Enlargement in the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament. The largest political group in the EP is the European People's Party (EPP), which belongs to the centre-right. The next European elections are in 2029, and estimates suggest that parties closer to the far right could have a majority then. What do you think about the fact that political parties and voters across Europe are moving to the right? And what does the left need to do to win elections?

That is a very difficult question. Of course, we win and lose EP elections in the member states. We have very different public opinions, there is no single European public opinion. That is not yet the case in Europe. That is why political battles are still fought primarily at the national level.

What is important is to be consistent. Enlargement is one example of that consistency. But equally important is the European social model, which will be very important for the future of Montenegro. The EU has a unique social model, we want to preserve it, it is part of our identity.

The second thing that people need to understand, both in Montenegro and in the EU, is that one of the main goals of the extreme right parties is to undermine the EU itself. That is why I believe that the EPP made a serious mistake when it cooperated with the extreme right in certain cases, because forming coalitions with the extreme right is not just a matter of political cooperation. In my opinion, it is already disgusting enough to form coalitions with racist and fascist parties. The problem is also that these parties are against the EU itself. That is why this is first and foremost a warning to the EPP.

In announcing your visit to Montenegro, you stated that the Western Balkans must not be forgotten, as that would leave the region vulnerable to influences from China, Russia and the Gulf states. This is the first time I have heard someone from Brussels mention the potential negative influence from the Gulf states. In May last year, Montenegro signed an agreement with the UAE government in the field of tourism and real estate, which was widely criticized because it bypasses tenders and public procurement procedures...

This would not be possible if Montenegro were a member of the EU. You know that, right?

Of course. However, we closed Chapter 5 (Public Procurement) immediately after the agreement with the UAE was adopted.

Yeah, that's pretty stupid, isn't it?

Many would say that there isn't much logic.

Of course, you are not yet a member of the EU and are not obliged to respect all the rules that apply to member states. But I still think it is stupid. I apologize for saying it like that.

This is a beautiful country. Of course you need development. Of course you want investments in tourism infrastructure. You have every right to do that. You want development and you want to move forward. But you have to do it the right way. In the EU, we have a very important law on foreign investments. We passed it precisely because of situations like this.

We are not against foreign investments. On the contrary, there are many of them in the EU. But we must know that they are legitimate, that they come under appropriate conditions...

The law is relatively new, it has been in force for several years and we have recently amended and strengthened it, because we see a lot of illegitimate foreign investments, mostly from China, but also from some Gulf states. And let me be clear - this is not because we are against the Gulf states. They have every right to invest. But the investments must be legitimate, transparent and based on the rules of public procurement and market competition. That is why I think the procedure chosen by the Government is not particularly smart. If I were your Prime Minister, I would never allow it, but I am not your Prime Minister.

Do you believe that such agreements, considering that large sums of money are involved, we are talking about billions of euros of investment from the UAE, can encourage corruption in Montenegro?

Of course they can, but corruption exists everywhere. It is, in a way, collateral damage of every democratic and political system. And we in the EU, in Belgium and other member states, fight corruption every day. But that is precisely one of the great advantages of the EU, we have strong legislation and strong institutions.

And whenever we uncover a case of corruption, it is mainly because there are institutions strong enough to bring such cases to the public. Large foreign investments are always particularly vulnerable to corruption. But that is another reason why it is important for Montenegro to become a member of the EU.

This will bring greater security to the citizens of Montenegro, but also to investors. There are many legitimate investors who are not coming precisely because they are not ready to do business in a system where those who pay from outside have an advantage. It is very important for honest investors, for honest companies in Montenegro and for the citizens themselves to be protected by a strong framework of the rule of law and the fight against corruption. This is extremely important.

Geopolitical changes are a huge challenge, but also an opportunity

If the geopolitical situation had not changed, that is, if Russia had not attacked Ukraine in 2022, do you believe that Montenegro's EU accession process would have progressed as it is now?

That's a very hypothetical question that doesn't really have an answer. Because Russia did invade Ukraine, (US President Donald) Trump was re-elected. And both events are important in the sense that the geopolitical moment represents a huge challenge for Europe, but also a huge opportunity.

We in Europe, and especially my political group, see these opportunities. We woke up because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and because of the pressure from the Trump administration, primarily on tariffs, but not only that. All these things happened. We cannot turn them back.

It would be easy to say: let's turn back the war, let's turn back Trump's reelection, let's turn back the coronavirus pandemic. But that's not how it works. The situation is what it is and we have to deal with it.

The way to do this is for Europe to become much more sovereign in what it does. This applies to critical raw materials, to the system of common defense that we must build together, and to the creation of new alliances around the world.

For example, when it comes to trade, we are working on a trade agreement with India. So, we are working on that. And enlargement, which has always been an integral part of the development of the EU, is now getting an additional boost.