Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša said that the European Union (EU) is not the only investor in the Western Balkans, but has competitors such as China, Russia and Turkey that do not set conditions for investments.
"Those countries do not set conditions for investment, while the EU does it with a set of European standards, which is OK if there is light at the end of the tunnel. But, if the prospect of EU membership is not guaranteed, then I think we will start to lose in that competition," Janša said in an interview for Euronews in Brussels.
"There is one big advantage on our side: membership in the EU. I don't think anyone or almost anyone from the Western Balkans wants to be part of China, Russia or Turkey. They want to be part of the EU. But if that perspective is not realistic, then we lose momentum and we are at a crucial moment," he added.
In an interview he gave on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans summit on Brdo near Kranj, Janša assessed that the European Commission's efforts to force members like Poland and Hungary to respect the basic values of the Union are "close to violating the rule of law."
"We have the UN Charter of Human Rights. We have the European Charter of Human Rights... but, especially in the European Parliament, anyone can add to that list what they want," he said.
"So, it is a politically misused term and it is used for political struggle," added the Slovenian Prime Minister.
According to him, while the European Parliament is a political body, the Commission, according to the EU Treaties, should stay out of political battles.
Janša says that this was the case when the Commission was headed by Jean-Claude Juncker, but that it changed when Ursula von der Leyen assumed the mandate.
"I think it is close to violating the rule of law because the Commission must be an honest mediator," added Janša.
The Slovenian Prime Minister specifically pointed to EC Vice President Vera Jurova, who, along with Commissioner for Justice Didije Rejnders, is recognized by the public as the most determined when it comes to the Commission's efforts to ensure respect for the rule of law.
He accused Jurova of "making statements that clearly violate the EU Treaty. But she supports the European press. So she will continue with that. If that had happened 15 years ago, I don't think she would have remained part of the Commission for even a week. Then the rules was clear".
Speaking about the strategic autonomy of the EU and its role as a global player, Janša advocated the continuation of the partnership with the US, including NATO.
He added, however, that NATO and the USA "will not solve problems and conflicts in our backyard and our neighborhood", that is, in the Western Balkans, the Mediterranean and Africa.
The Slovenian Prime Minister believes that the EU should focus more on securing its external borders instead of "sending money and humanitarian aid that then ends up in the hands of terrorists or military commanders".
When it comes to Afghanistan, Janša said that it is the EU's obligation to help those who helped it, referring to those who worked for European diplomatic missions and who were evacuated together with EU citizens, but that "there is no place in Europe for ten million Afghans".
He also said that the EU "will not repeat the mistake that some countries made in 2015 after the war in Syria".
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