FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Serbia boycotted the EU-Western Balkans summit in protest at Brussels' decision not to open Cluster 3 in accession negotiations. Its absence has been interpreted as a signal of the growing rift between Belgrade and the EU, as criticism of Vučić's policies and the lack of real reforms deepen Serbia's diplomatic isolation.
Serbia's empty seat at the EU-Western Balkans summit is more than a political protest. It symbolizes a deepening clash between Brussels and Belgrade, as well as the failure of European policy towards the Balkans, the German newspaper "Berliner Zeitung " writes today.
According to the German daily, the demonstrative absence of Serbian representatives at the summit is a direct consequence of the recent decision of the EU General Affairs Council, which once again rejected the opening of Cluster 3 in accession negotiations with Serbia, a symbolic step, considering that the dialogue between Belgrade and Brussels has been practically blocked for four years.
According to the Berliner Zeitung, the reasons for this blockade are numerous and reflect the growing distrust from EU capitals towards the policies of President Aleksandar Vučić. According to diplomatic sources that the Danish EU presidency has shared with Belgrade, Germany has already lined up against the opening of the new cluster, along with the Baltic countries, Sweden, Finland and neighbors Croatia and Bulgaria.
Belgrade sees this as an insult and a signal that the reforms undertaken in Serbia are being ignored. The director of the Institute for European Studies in Belgrade, Slobodan Zecevic, told the newspaper that Vučić's boycott is a sign of disappointment with the way the EU is treating Serbia. According to him, Serbia has met Brussels' demands, but the path to progress in the negotiations is still not clear.
On the other hand, EU member states have a different assessment. The EU Council has clearly recalled that progress in the accession process depends on improvements in two essential areas: the rule of law and the normalization of relations with Kosovo. It is in these two areas that many EU countries see major shortcomings and a lack of political will for real reforms.
Another key factor in the decision to block the cluster is Serbia's refusal to align its foreign policy with that of the EU, including not imposing sanctions on Russia. Massive domestic protests lasting for more than a year, tensions in the media sector, and accusations of undermining democratic institutions have also added to suspicions that Belgrade is not truly committed to reforms.
The newspaper estimates that a departure of Serbia from the European course would be a political disaster for Europe. " By constantly frustrating the most important country in the region, the EU is achieving the opposite of what it claims to want to achieve ," the analysis continues. Instead of exporting stability, Brussels, through unclear positions and hesitation, is creating a dangerous power vacuum that actors like China are ready to exploit.
Serbia's empty chair, according to the German newspaper, is not just a symbolic act, but a warning about the failure of a policy that risks losing control over "its own backyard," while geopolitical rivals increase their influence.
However, Vučić is also playing a dangerous game. On the one hand, he wants to show strength and sovereignty to the domestic public, but on the other hand, he is pushing Serbia towards ever deeper isolation. The thanks he extended to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa and French President Emmanuel Macron seem to aim to divide the European bloc, fueling divisions between his supporters and countries critical of Belgrade. But it remains to be seen whether this strategy will bring any real results. /Pamphlet
BE-ja ishte një koncept i mirë teorik në fillim. Tani në matematikë ka ekuacion me 27 variabla! Hyrja është problem, mbijetesa është shumë më e madhe! Serbia mori vendimin e duhur.