World News | Bulgarian Political Crisis Casts Shadow over Balkans Summit
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. A Bulgarian government crisis tarnished a European Union summit on Thursday that was intended to bolster the EU membership hopes of Balkan countries and to show Western resolve in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine, but instead ended in a dead end.
Brussels, Jun 23 (AP) A Bulgarian government crisis tarnished a European Union summit on Thursday that was intended to bolster the EU membership hopes of Balkan countries and to show Western resolve in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine, but instead ended in a dead end.
Bulgaria's parliament voted no-confidence on Wednesday in the coalition government of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, presenting an obstacle to the long-delayed start of the EU's accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.
All three countries belong to NATO, but Bulgaria has used its status as an EU member to block the other two from proceeding on the path to join the 27-nation European bloc.
Bulgaria has a dispute with North Macedonia over ethnicity and language, and its stance has also stalled Albania's progress because the EU is treating the pair as a political package.
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Petkov briefed leaders about the political situation in his country that is blocking discussions on a proposed compromise put forward by France, which hoped it could break the deadlock during the final days of its turn holding the EU Council's presidency.
“It's a disgrace that a NATO country – Bulgaria – kidnaps two other NATO countries, namely Albania and North Macedonia, in the midst of the hot war at Europe's backyard,” Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said at the summit in Brussels.
“It's not good to see that 26 other countries sit still in a scary show of impotence.”
Several leaders insisted during the meeting on the need for the EU to reform the lengthy enlargement process, arguing that it sometimes can be an obstacle to countries wishing to build closer ties with the bloc.
Josep Borrell, the bloc's top diplomat, said the rule requiring unanimous approval from current members “is a big problem" when it comes to decision-making.
“So, we have to think (about) how we take decisions in the European Union, because we cannot continue with a single country blocking for months and months," he said.
The EU, a political and economic club that boasts the world's biggest single market, wants to reassure countries in the Balkans that have waited years for admission that the bloc's doors remain open.
Russia's war in Ukraine has added to the list of aspiring EU members. The governments of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia rushed in membership applications after Russia invaded its neighbour.
At their two-day summit that started on Tuesday, EU heads of state and government will also consider whether to make Ukraine a candidate for membership, the first step in the accession process.
The EU last admitted a new member - Croatia - in 2013. The enlargement process slowed as eurosceptic voices grew in member nations such as Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands – all founding members of the bloc in the 1950s.
The eurozone debt crisis 10 years ago, a 2015 migration wave into Europe and the UK's 2016 referendum decision to pull out of the EU also contributed to political unease with the bloc's further expansion.
Almost every step of the EU membership process, from recognising a candidate to completing elements of entry negotiations that can last years or decades, requires unanimous backing from the bloc's national governments.
European Council President Charles Michel, the EU summit chair, said the bloc is committed to rejuvenating the membership bids of Western Balkan countries.
“There is a very strong political will to reenergise the process,” he said. “The Western Balkans are a priority for us.”
But with the EU planning to put Ukraine on the official membership path by making it a candidate, Albania's Rama said the continuing deadlock affecting North Macedonia and Albania should serve as a warning to Ukrainians about future entry hurdles.
“It's a good thing to give candidate status, but I hope the Ukrainian people will not make many illusions about it,” Rama said. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)