Former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn stated that there will be no concessions in the European Union membership process and that all candidate countries, including Serbia, must fully meet EU standards.
In an interview with NIN magazine, Hahn emphasized that joining the EU is a very serious decision both for the candidate countries and the Union itself, noting that Serbia still faces many unresolved issues.
“When we talk about Serbia, there are still numerous open issues, including a very low level of alignment of foreign policy with Brussels,” Hahn said, commenting on the continuous decline of support for Serbia’s EU membership.
He rejected the idea of fast-tracking the Western Balkans “as a package”, stressing that the enlargement process is individual and based on merit and concrete fulfillment of EU standards.
“There is no accelerated procedure and no shortcuts. Each candidate country is evaluated separately and based on its achievements,” Hahn stated, according to Express.
He added that the EU itself must prepare for enlargement to more than 30 member states, which requires changes in the decision-making system, including moving from consensus-based decisions to qualified majority voting.
Nevertheless, Hahn underlined that the EU remains committed to the integration of Western Balkan countries without compromising its standards.
“If the entire Western Balkans becomes part of the European family, it would be in the interest of everyone – both the region and the EU. But this can only happen if the candidate countries fully meet the membership standards,” he said.
Regarding discussions on the accelerated accession of Ukraine and Moldova, Hahn stressed that there will also be no concessions.
“No concessions can be made. Every candidate state must meet the conditions and common standards of the European Union,” he said.
On the war in Ukraine, he assessed that its resolution requires strong and effective military support for Ukraine, which would have a deterrent effect on Russia and create conditions for ceasefire and negotiations.
