Confidence in the candidate countries is essential for speeding up the enlargement process

At the plenary session of the European Parliament, MEPs debated about the future of the Western Balkans enlargement process. Fidesz MEP Andor Deli from Vojvodina emphasized in his speech that “Candidate countries constantly face a lack of trust from some member states and the European Parliament, which significantly slows down the EU enlargement process.” MEP Kinga Gál, the president of the Fidesz delegation to the European Parliament, highlighted: “The Western Balkans enlargement is the strategic interest of the EU and the key to its security. It is important that the European Parliament does not approach the Western Balkan countries on an ideological basis.”

In his speech, MEP Deli underlined: “Reading the parliamentary reports of the last couple of years, we can see that the EP does not trust the official assessment reports, the Commissioner responsible for enlargement is baselessly criticized and there is a serious lack of trust in the candidate states, especially in relation to those in which a conservative government is in power. Citizens of the candidate countries also feel this. In these perilous, war-torn times, the countries of the Western Balkans do not need criticism, but positive messages and trust.”

According to MEP Kinga Gál, the stability of the region is crucial from the point of view of Europe’s security, and the ever-increasing migration pressure and the European energy crisis only reinforce this fact. The activities of Olivér Várhelyi, the commissioner responsible for enlargement, prove that he is a committed supporter of enlargement, which is of strategic importance for the European Union. She emphasized: “The annual reports of the European Commission have consistently asked and continue to ask the countries of the Western Balkans to account for the conditions that form the basis of accession. Therefore, the European Parliament’s politically motivated criticism of the Enlargement Commissioner is unacceptable.”