European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited the Western Balkans for the sixth consecutive year last week, reaffirming the European Union’s support for the region’s partners on their path toward EU membership.
This year, however, von der Leyen visited four of the Western Balkans’ six countries.
The European Commission said the tour provided an opportunity to emphasize that while candidate countries are making progress, the EU itself must also be prepared to welcome new members.
“President Ursula von der Leyen’s tour of the Western Balkans showed the momentum that the enlargement process is gaining. Progress is real, reforms remain key, and the EU is supporting partners at every step of the way,” the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement said in a statement on X.
Speaking about the prospect of further EU enlargement to include the Western Balkans, von der Leyen said the bloc must be prepared for expansion.
“We want to make sure that the European Union is ready to enlarge, and we will determine how best to protect what lies at the heart of Europe — our democratic values and the rule of law,” von der Leyen said.
The Commission has increasingly emphasized both the progress expected from candidate countries and the need for the EU to prepare its own institutions and policies for future enlargement.
