Juncker: Being United for the Western Balkans

He made these comments during his annual speech on the state of the European Union in the European Parliament.

We should be together when talking about the Western Balkans, once and for all. If we don't, then this nearby region with us will be shaped by the rest of us”, President Juncker said.

Out of the Western Balkan countries -- Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina -- aspire to integration into the European Union.

Senior European officials have called on countries in the region several times this year to benefit from European Union's new efforts for a different approach to the troubled region due to the increased Russian influence, the immigration crisis, Turkey's slide towards authoritarianism and the intention to strengthen European integration after Britain's departure next year.

Of the six Western Balkan countries, Serbia and Montenegro are seen as the first in the integration process. The European Union has indicated in favour of opening membership talks with Albania, but postponing the decision for June of next year, pending further progress in the country, particularly in terms of reform in justice, fighting organised crime and corruption. But in June of next year, it is expected to open negotiations with Macedonia if it approves changing its constitutional name to the Republic of Northern Macedonia, under the agreement reached with Greece.

Kosovo remains last in integration processes. In all the processes it also faces the challenge posed by the fact that even further, five of the 28 European Union member states have not recognised its independence, which is opposed by Belgrade, with which Pristina has been involved in a process of talks on normalisation of the relations of BiH condition for both sides of European integration.

President Juncker said the Commission would be tough on European Union countries that do not respect rule of law, amid concerns that Poland and Hungary do not respect the democratic principles of the European Union.

During the annual speech, he said the 7th Article of the European Union -- a process that could lead to sanctions such as suspending the right to vote on the European Council -- must be implemented whenever rule of law is threatened.

The president, Juncker, called on the European Union to tighten muscles as a world power, saying the deal reached with US President Donald Trump, to avoid a transatlantic trade struggle was not “any surprise”, as he spoke on behalf of a united Europe.

Noting the questions of many countries regarding Washington's role as world economic leader, Luxembourg's former prime minister defended the idea that the euro should challenge the dollar as the leading currency in the world, calling it "absurd" the fact that the EU pays for most of its energy in American currency, even though it is bought mainly by Russia and Gulf countries. He said air companies should also buy planes in euros, not dollars.

Mr. Juncker, who is entering last year as president of the European Commission, said the EU should offer free trade agreements with the entire African continent, and an investment alliance.

It proposed strengthening the European Union's external borders with 10,000 troops to prevent economic migrations that have fostered nationalism against the EU. / VoA