Considering that the European agenda now prioritises the Western Balkans as a key factor of Europe’s security, enlargement is becoming inevitable, but Brussels will be stricter and more consistent in setting the conditions for advancement on the accession path
The growth plan is the most ambitious integrative framework for the Western Balkans to date, which – provided it achieves the planned goals – can be equated with the effects of the former Marshall Plan. That’s because, in addition to financial support, it also implies political support for the internal reform processes that are crucial to the advancement of all countries in the region. Given that access to financial arrangements will be conditioned by the evident implementation of reform agendas, it is clear that the European Union is thus demonstrating the seriousness of its approach to enlargement policy after almost a decade in which a vision was lacking in this regard.
In order to take the best possible advantage of this significant financial opportunity, Serbia should also – in addition to fully committing itself to the implementation of reforms in key areas – provide mechanisms for the broad participation of various stakeholders in the processes of planning and creating development projects in order to ensure the mapping of development potentials in the most effective way, while at the same time addressing the needs of different communities and regions. It would thus finally begin mitigating the consequences of the multiple decades of centrist policies and practices that led to the demographic draining of large parts of the country, but would also ensure transparency in the processes of planning and implementing large projects that have hitherto been created and monitored by a narrow circle of institutional actors.
This is the ideal opportunity for Serbia to now adopt its Development Plan, as a strategic umbrella document for development that should provide for the more even development of the different parts of Serbia
This is the ideal opportunity for Serbia to now adopt its Development Plan, as a strategic umbrella document for development that should provide for the more even development of the different parts of Serbia, but would also more clearly define the vision that Serbia will strive towards over the next decade. The previous government recognised the adoption of this important document as a priority and also took concrete steps towards it through the adopting of the methodology for the plan’s development and the appointing of the Ministry of European Integration as the point of coordination of this process within the scope of the Government.
Over the course of almost an entire decade, Serbia took advantage of the privileges of its status that were made possible by the previous stabilocratic strategy of Europe towards the Western Balkans, strengthening ties with non-European actors that suited economic needs to a certain extent, though at the same time distancing the country from the fundamental reform processes that represent the essence of European integration.
Considering that the European agenda now prioritises the Western Balkans as a key factor of Europe’s security, enlargement is becoming inevitable, but Brussels will be stricter and more consistent in setting the conditions for advancement on the accession path. It remains to be seen how much time Serbia and the other countries of the Western Balkans will have to decide and accept the benefits of the current geopolitical situation, but what is certain is that – from now until that moment – the responsibility for the result is squarely in our court..
