Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has urged candidate countries seeking membership in the European Union (EU) not to harbor high expectations for a rapid expansion of the bloc in the near future.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing reports from Reuters, Vucic emphasized that expecting any "miracles" in the EU accession process is unrealistic. The Serbian leader noted that the pace of enlargement depends on a complex array of political and institutional factors within the union.
Despite his cautious outlook, Vucic reaffirmed that European integration remains the most viable path for the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as for Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.
Currently, the accession processes for candidate countries are proceeding at varying speeds. Montenegro has expressed plans to complete its membership process by 2028, while Albania is actively accelerating negotiations with Brussels. Conversely, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo are currently experiencing slower progress in their integration efforts.
The issue of enlargement remains a subject of debate within the EU itself. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has previously opposed accelerating negotiations regarding Ukraine's EU membership. Orban has argued that it is illogical to proceed with discussions on further integration steps immediately following the initial stages of Ukraine's accession process.
The European Union's enlargement policy has historically been a cornerstone of its foreign policy, aimed at promoting stability and economic prosperity across the European continent. However, the process is often lengthy, requiring candidates to align their legal, economic, and political systems with the "acquis communautaire," the accumulated body of EU law.
