Konjufca gives a speech before Orban in Hungary: EU Critical for Enlargement

Fortunately, Mr. Konjufca has not been issued in common populist statements, as is common in Kosovo television shows.

His language has been narrowed within acceptable political frameworks for a parliament speaker.

In his short speech, the chief commissioner has hit the European Union [EU], fairly, for non-liberalisation of visas for Kosovo and for halting the enlargement policy.

“The doctrine we've been listening to in the last few months, and which is called “Deployment then enlargement”, is a huge blow to the expectations of our people. Conjufca, here comes Periscopi.

At the National Assembly in Hungary, there was also the extreme, problematic nationalist, Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Orban in recent years has had a series of clashes with the European Union, especially for its anti-migration policies, for legislation restricting media freedom and for attacking LGBTI+ values.

Full speech:

Honored President of the National Assembly of Hungary, Laszlo Kover,

Honored Prime Minister Viktor Orban,

Dear Head of Parliaments Dear Commissioner Varhely.

I am so glad that President Rover brought us all together here in the beautiful capital of Hungary, Budapest. Our continent is slowly emerging from a major crisis caused by the pandemic.

Two months ago, it was two years since the COVIED 19 virus appeared in the world. The world changed forever. Nearly 4.5 million people died from this dangerous virus. The economy, on the other hand, suffered severe shocks.

But this tragedy also resulted in greater solidarity between states and peoples. Mankind is triumphing. We're all better understood than just united and helping each other we can handle the unexpected that may bring us time.

Above all, I am praising this initiative by President Kover since our discussion again is focusing on the EU enlargement process. To our Western Balkan countries, this adds more hope for a secure and common future to the large and democratic European family.

There was a time 20 years ago when the EU understood better than we the fundamental importance of involvement in the Western Balkans. Two decades back, we regret to find that for the first time in European history, it is exactly the Western Balkans that are better understanding than the EU the necessity of enlargement.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, we can conclude with full conviction that, the security, peace, development and democratisation of our region is entirely dependent on the guarantee of membership of our states in the EU. The situation would be extremely unstable and uncontrolled if we were to lose hope of being one day full - fledged members of the European family.

This is not an idealisation of the EU. But it is widely known that, if the Western Balkan region was left out of the European perspective, the space that would create other unfriendly projects would be fatal for the stability of this region and also very complex.

The doctrine we've been listening to these last few months, and which is called “deepening then enlargement”, is a huge blow to the hopes of our people.

This is a symptom of unjustified fear. The good that United Europe would have, along with eventual doubts about the problems that may arise, are unmatched. A scepticism has filled our region with many reasons as we are living witnesses ourselves than the more enlargement has drawn to the Western Balkans, the less the speed of enlargement has diminished.

It has been more than eight years since the last state joined the EU. Meanwhile, ironically in history, just as everyone was waiting for the number to increase, in 2016 Great Britain became the first country in the teaching of members who decided to abandon Union.

I don't want my word to sound like prayer. We are well aware that the EU is not an external station, but an internal democratic transformation of integrated states. So we are firmly defined and willing to continue with the highest intensity of reforms so that we can deepen them. We still have work to do. The Western Balkans can have a secure future only if they do not give up hope that membership and enlargement depend entirely on us, not on you.

We're going to meet the criteria, we're going to make reforms, we're going to turn our societies, by strengthening the rule of law, by fighting strong corruption and by making society more equal, but also by making the economy more developed.

But if the EU says that regardless of that, you have to wait for us because we need a few years to deepen, that would be depressing and incompatible. What happened to the failure of visa liberalisation for the Republic of Kosovo is a very negative example of mismanagement of the process.

My people are the only isolated people in Europe who cannot enjoy free movement because of the visa regime. Although the European Commission has estimated that Kosovo has met all necessary criteria, some member states unfairly block visa liberalisation for Kosovo.

The EU must find the courage to include BP by means of an optimisation programme of criteria and reforms, following northern Macedonia and Albania, at once, to include all remaining states at the same time.