European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos expressed concern over the state of the rule of law in candidate countries in the Western Balkans, including Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, despite some progress in recent years. Kosovo was notably not mentioned.
Kos highlighted ongoing issues such as:
- Interference in judicial procedures
- Pressure on anti-corruption officials
- Politicization of media regulators
These comments followed a meeting of the Council of General Affairs of the EU, where ministers from member states and candidate countries discussed rule of law challenges in the region.
Danish Minister for European Affairs, Marie Bjerre, emphasized that rule of law remains the EU’s core value, with discussions referencing the European Commission’s July report on the Western Balkans.
Kos stressed that EU candidate countries must guarantee an independent judiciary, free elections, and a free press to qualify for membership. She warned that countries failing to uphold the rule of law will not be able to join the EU.
Kosova submitted its EU membership application in December 2022, but it has not yet been examined, making it the only Western Balkan country without candidate status. Meanwhile, other countries in the region have continued to advance: Albania recently opened additional negotiation chapters, bringing its total to 28 out of 33.
The EU officials also discussed additional sanctions on Russia and stressed the need for stronger European support for Ukraine. Of the Western Balkan states, only Serbia has not joined EU sanctions against Russia, maintaining close ties with the Kremlin despite Brussels’ calls for alignment with EU foreign and security policies.
