Marta Kos: I grew up in communist Yugoslavia and when my country, Slovenia, decided to declare independence, the biggest wish was to belong to a community of values and democracy.
So, right from the beginning, from when we gained independence in 1991, we fought for this. When Slovenia became a member of the EU in 2004, it was one of the happiest days of my life.
Slovenia is a country of only 2 million people and 20,000 square kilometers. What can a small country do alone in this world where you really need allies? You have to connect to have some strength in the world. The EU has brought all this, and I’m so happy that the citizens of Slovenia still support it a lot.
Based on Slovenia’s experience, what lessons should aspiring EU member states learn and apply?
Kos: What we have learned is that EU membership is not something that comes just like that, but something you really have to fight for.
And it is very important that the leadership of the [candidate] country really supports this, because the accession process is a transition process. We now have some candidate countries where the leadership is really very supportive.
As far back as 2019, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commited his country to the path to EU and NATO membershipImage: Omar Havan/AP/picture alliance
But if the leadership is not doing this, how can citizens believe — or should believe — that EU membership is something good?
The second lesson is that it is not only about the economy. When Slovenia became a member, we saw our membership mostly through the lens of prosperity.
But today, EU membership is about peace. Can you imagine that in 2025, we are speaking again about the fact that the EU is there to provide peace in Europe or freedom or security, too? These are actually the basics, the reason why the EU was established.
There has been considerable momentum for enlargement since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. How are things developing in this respect?
Kos: It’s amazing what the Ukrainians are doing today. While the bombs are falling on their country, they are negotiating EU accession. They are doing necessary reforms — and there are a lot of reforms to do.
So, we are ready to open Cluster One on fundamentals. And by the end of the year, we will be ready to open all clusters, which means that then, the real work of the negotiations will be possible.
Actually, the conflict with Russia didn’t start in 2022 when the war started. It started in 2014 when Ukraine wanted to sign a free trade agreement with the EU and somebody — Putin’s regime — opposed it.
I will do everything I can that Ukraine will become a member of the EU — as our president Ursula von der Leyen says, perhaps even before 2030.
Is joining the EU still primarily determined by merit, or do geopolitical factors now carry more weight?
Kos: This is very good question, which I get asked many times. So, in the sense of what is more important — geopolitical and security needs on the one hand and the merit-based principle on the other — both are important, but we cannot afford to have countries or new member states that are not ready for the European economic market and, of course, to be able to defend democracy and the rule of law.
Moldova became an EU candidate country in June 2022Image: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu/picture alliance
That’s why, of course, the merit-based principle will remain a cornerstone of the accession process, because through this process, we actually prepare the countries in many, many fields, especially in the field of media freedom or the whole rule of law area.
What is the EU doing to support Moldova, where Russia is trying to exert greater influence?
Kos: It is unprecedented how aggressive Russian propaganda is, especially in Moldova. They [Russia] are investing millions of euros to stop Moldova from going the European way. But the EU has also got smarter over the last years.
So, for the first time we are now deploying what we call the Hybrid Rapid Response Team from the EEAS [European External Action Service] with experts from some member states, and we are helping Moldova, together with their government, to fight the Russian narratives.
They are very aggressive and they are spreading lies in the sense of “if you go the European way, there will be the war the same as in Ukraine. If you will become a member of the EU, you will lose your identity.”
I come from a country that is smaller than Moldova and actually membership of the EU is preserving our identity.
This is a new approach, and we are really helping a lot in building a strong basis for being a member of the EU, both for Ukraine and Moldova and also the Western Balkan countries.
And what about Serbia?
Kos: Serbia is in a very difficult situation, and we, the EU, are very much supportive of the European way of Serbia and the Serbian people. But there is a lot that still needs to be done.
Even if Serbia has been a candidate country for many years, they haven’t done all the reforms yet. So, we are helping them do these reforms.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement speaks about Moldova, Ukraine and Western Balkans accession
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On the other hand, the protests we have been seeing now for some months are an expression that people are not happy with the situation they are in. And every government should consider what its own citizens are saying.
To some extent, the protesters are demanding the same as we — the EU — are demanding from Serbia, meaning: anti-corruption [measures], the rule of law, media freedom. So, actually, we have a common interest here, and I hope that we will be able to really stabilize Serbia.
In Georgia, a lot of European flags were being waved during the protests. Why is that not the case in Serbia?
Kos: This is an interesting observation. I’m in constant touch with civil society organizations, professors and universities in Serbia and I asked many, many people this same question.
What they told me was very interesting. The first thing was: “You are supporting President Vucic. Second, you bombed us. Okay, it was NATO but you bombed our country. Third, you want us to recognize Kosovo, and fourth, we don’t want to make Russia angry.”
So, the answers go in very different directions. These are the sentiments we also have to consider when — and this is the plan — better communicating the benefits of EU enlargement.
So, how is enlargement possible, if the Kosovo question is not resolved? And how is this compatible with what the people want?
Kos: Yes, this is indeed the question. I like to say that once the country decides to take the EU path, it comes with obligations and responsibilities. So, it is a choice. Nobody is forcing Serbia.
At a recent EU summit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the EU that Hungarians are opposed to Ukraine joining the EUImage: Frederic GARRIDO-RAMIREZ/European Union
But once you say “yes, we want to become a member of the EU,” then it has to be done. Many things have to be done. I hope that we will be able to better explain the benefits of enlargement or why the EU is good for Serbia.
There are issues at candidate country level, but also within the EU: There’s a lot of fragmentation. How do you deal with leaders like Viktor Orban?
Kos: In the accession process we need unanimous decisions, which means that all 27 member states have to agree with a decision.
There was a public consultation in Hungary where politicians told us that the people are against Ukrainian membership of the EU. But I can tell you, we also conducted a survey in Eurobarometer, which has not been published yet, where 64% or 65% of citizens in Hungary support enlargement.
So, dialogue, constructive dialogue, finding a solution, this is the only way out of this situation. We are talking to Hungary, and I hope that we will find the solution together with the other member states.
But what’s your plan precisely for Orban?
Kos: We don’t have a plan for Orban, we have a plan for the accession process and there, we will find a solution.
Edited by: Aingeal Flanagan
Sursa: DW
