12 minutes agoSlovenian prime minister gives EU an idea of how to bring Western Balkan states closer
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)The European Union should focus on the Western Balkan countries' reward for progress on the path to membership, in order to create incentives for them to continue pursuing a distant and challenging goal, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said. Robert Golob, who was in Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, [...]
Robert Golob, who was in Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, set the example of energy, suggesting that Northern Macedonia may be allowed to participate in energy projects across Europe once it has fully implemented all EU energy regulations.
The problem now is that you have only one goal that is far away in the future, so you have to take a big step before you make any kind of success. This is not very motivating”, he told Reuters in an interview.
“If we can split it in small steps and let each country see that there's something for it, then it's very easy to convince other countries that they take the same steps”, he added.
The years of waiting for membership have led to disappointing and exhilarating enthusiasm for the EU in many Western Balkan countries, a disappointment that many in European capitals worry creates opportunities in the region for strategic rivals like China and Russia.
