3 hours agoPlenkov: Serbia on the brink of civil war
Periskopi(9 months ago)
(9 months ago)Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic expressed some scepticism at the Black Strategic Forum that the European Union will expand by 2030, claiming that Northern Macedonia is blocked, Serbia is “on the eve of the civil war” and Bosnia and Herzegovina is under constant threat of secession. In the 20th edition of the conference [...]
In the 20th edition of Bled's conference, the Croatian prime minister participated in the “Bird's Friday panel: Dream or Reality” along with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and European Commission for Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.
Bled's promise refers to a decision taken at the 2023 conference, which set the goal of the EU and Western Balkan countries being ready for expansion by 2030.
Things are not going that way was indicated by a previous Slovenian prime minister's statement to Slovenia's Radio Television, Telegrafi reports, Periscopi broadcast.
Golob said only the prime ministers of Albania and Montenegro were deliberately invited to Bled because they want to send a message, that “accession will be first possible for those who will seriously implement the” reforms.
Plenkovic said on the panel that the enlargement, which he strongly supports, has gained a new momentum after the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine, but that “is not so sure” that it is a priority among EU countries.
It questions whether larger member states will accept smaller new states with a contribution “modest” to the European budget, but with equal voting rights.
The six richest countries finance 80 per cent of the budget”, he recalled.
He called for “realism”, saying enlargement will not happen without meeting criteria from member states and without a favourable political moment.
“Actually, we have blocked Northern Macedonia, Serbia with more than two years of major, stronger and more serious internal unrest and protests, on the eve of the civil war, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which Milorad Dodik has repeatedly threatened with the secession of Republika Srpska”, the prime minister continued.
Plenkov later clarified his statement about the “civil war” in a statement to journalists, saying that following the tragic events of mass murder at a Belgrade school and the collapse of a tent in Novi Sad Qaeda in Serbia has created an atmosphere in which protests have continued for more than two years, which is “an unusual “situation.
The purpose of his statement on the panel was, therefore, to give the audience that “does not follow all the details” of the situation in Serbia “a small idea of what it all looks like, especially in recent months”.
“Don't think I'm supporting such a scenario, I'm just coldly describing”, he stressed.
