July 22, 2008
Serbia’s slow road to the EU
The European Union can hardly contain its pleasure at the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the murderous Bosnian Serb leader who was picked up in Serbia on Monday after 11 years on the run. For all those who believe the best way to ensure long-term stability in former Yugoslavia is to accelerate Serbia’s path to EU membership, Karadzic’s arrest was cause for celebration.
The arrest appears to vindicate the EU’s strategy over the past year of overtly supporting pro-EU political forces in Belgrade. The aim is twofold: to neutralise the militant nationalists who have poisoned Serbian public life for the past 20 years, and to persuade Serbian voters that their best hope of a decent future lies in aligning their country with the EU.
This strategy, so it is argued, helped secure victory in last February’s Serbian presidential election for Boris Tadic, the pro-EU incumbent. Likewise, the signing of an EU-Serbia pre-accession agreement in late April is said to have tipped the balance in favour of the pro-EU camp in Serbia’s parliamentary elections two weeks later.
The implementation of the pre-accession accord requires Serbia to be certified as being in full co-operation with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Two war crimes suspects - Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb wartime general, and Goran Hadzic, the Krajina Serb leader - are still fugitives. But Karadzic’s arrest is an undeniable breakthrough and deserves a reward. It is not impossible that Serbia will be declared an official candidate for EU membership before the end of this year or in 2009.
Before the celebrations get out of hand, however, we need to recall that Serbia faces formidable obstacles on its road to the EU. One is its readiness in terms of economic performance, the rule of law and its ability to meet a vast range of EU technical standards.
Another concerns Kosovo, whose secession from Serbia and declaration of independence in February has been recognised by most EU countries but is rejected even by the most pro-EU politicians in Belgrade. The Serbia-Kosovo dispute is very far from settled. The EU will think twice before repeating the mistake it made with Cyprus in 2004 and admitting a country in advance of a solution to its internal political and territorial quarrels.
Lastly, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have stated flatly that further expansion of the EU is out of the question until the Lisbon treaty on institutional reform comes into effect. In other words, the door will be blocked to Serbia until Ireland reverses its rejection of the Lisbon treaty in last month’s referendum.
Putting pressure on an island in north-western Europe seems a curious way to go about promoting stability in south-eastern Europe. But perhaps for now we should just be happy that Karadzic is behind bars.
Radovan Karadzic is not Serb, he is Montenegrin
Posted by: Valerija | July 22nd, 2008 at 11:34 am | Report this commentMany people always wondered why General Wesley Clark in charge of NATO, ordered Serbia bombed day in and day out on a massive scale, was that necessary ? how would the Serbians, mostly christians, feel about it ? how would anyone feel about it? do we bomb the daylights out of anyone commiting crimes against extreme muslims? i can think of at least one country in the Midle East that hes been doing it for years, and no one in NATO bombs them like that , is that a double standard ? and General Clarks abrupt resignation from NATO was never explained, why?
I agree with Pr. Sarkozy and Ch. Merkel to stop expansion of the EU until the whole Continent is integrated, until the last european is fully integrated,until Europa has become Energy Independent and Secure and we have a solid democratic Treaty,until there is full wireless broadband with choices for all in Europa and education, medicine,health,law,work,etc., is fully integrated in all mobile devices for all in Europa,a real digital Union.
Posted by: blogger | July 22nd, 2008 at 7:11 pm | Report this commentDear madam/sir,
Posted by: Socrates | July 29th, 2008 at 8:44 pm | Report this commentit is more than apparent that this comment was posted by a person who has got strong anti-Serbian feelings and has no tolerance towards anything Serbian. this person blames Serb for all evils of civil war in the former Yugoslavia. This opinion I have seen many times from peoples who were fighting directly in the war. I also doubt that this commentator has given its real name or identity, most likely is someone of Bosniaks Croat, or Albanian background, but the point is that this comments isn’t objective. why?well, for instance it didn’t even bother to mention 500,000 Serbs who are expelled from their homes in Croatia, they were expelled and their cities, villages and whole communities destroyed, properties burn and robbed, so they couldn’t ever return, also commentator hasn’t bother to mention 200,000 Serbs and other non Albanians forced to leave their homes in Kosovo. why wasn’t mentioned?
There is a real problem with EU countries attitude towards Serbia. The dogma is that Serbia only responds well to pressure. While in past this was true in last couple years things have changed in Serbian politics; unfortunatelly, these changes did not reach EU decission makers yet.
Like when you’re punishing your kid who’s done something wrong, sooner or later you need to stop expressing such an attitude and switch to a mode of cooperation and understanding.
A FACT: Serbia has extradicted to ICTY 41 out of 43 indicted persons. Amongst them two former presidents, two army chiefs of staff, one DPM…
Yet, it seems that the eternal mantra “press them hard, it’s the only way they understand” never stops.
The first signal of possible change in EU approach could be the offering of SAA BEFORE Serbia actually did what they wanted it to. The result was encouraging. It is my opinion that Serbia should finally start to get the treatment of an equal counterpart, to be seen by EU as a reasonable adult to whome you can talk to and reason with, instead of being indefinitely treated as a troubled teenager.
Finally, I can not imagine any self-respected country to be able to put up with two decades of pressure and blackmailing. Just imagine your country in such a situtation. It would make you sick. And it would most certainly make your far-right wingers grow.
Posted by: mc2 | August 26th, 2008 at 11:42 pm | Report this comment