Policy brief titled “From Norms to Noise:Why the EU Talks Reform but Fuels Decline in the Balkans” offers a timely and sharp analysis of the EU’s approach to enlargement in the Western Balkans, highlighting inconsistencies between rhetoric and practice.
In this paper, BiEPAG member Jovana Marović argues that the EU undermines its credibility in the Western Balkans by prioritizing stability and strategic interests over democratic reforms. Despite positive rhetoric, the EU tolerates backsliding, rewards autocrats, and applies conditionality inconsistently. This deepens public distrust and weakens reform incentives.
Marović calls for providing a time-bound accession path fast-tracking forfrontrunner(s)based on measurable rule of law progress, aligning EU rhetoric with reality and enforcing clear accession criteria. She also urges limiting the misuse of bilateral vetoes and empowering civil society to restore the EU’s normative power and credibility in the enlargement process.
ALBANIA: SPEED OVER SCRUTINY The lack of tangible results on the ground can also be seen as an example of weak conditionality and its inconsistent enforcement, given that the criteria and benchmarks are defined in terms so vague and flexible that they leave significant discretion to the EU and subsequently to individual member states, to politically decide whether a condition has been met. The case of Albania, which is set to open all the clusters in less than a year, raises questions about the lowering of standards, especially considering that the technical preparation of action plans, often a prerequisite for opening negotiation chapters, is itself a relatively demanding task. Similarly, when the EU decided to open accession negotiations with Albania in July 2022, EU officials publicly framed this step as a significant milestone and a strong signal of the Union’s commitment to the Western Balkans. For instance, EC President Ursula von der Leyen described the decision as “a clear recognition of Albania’s progress on the path towards EU membership” and highlighted that it “rewards years of reforms and opens new opportunities for cooperation and integration.”
Similarly, High Representative Josep Borrell welcomed the move as an “important moment in the enlargement process” and stressed the EU’s belief in Albania’s potential to join the Union in the future, reinforcing the narrative of growing EU support and trust in Albania’s reform efforts. In contrast, the EC’s 2022 Albania country report painted a more nuanced and cautious picture. While acknowledging Albania’s continued commitment to reforms, especially in areas such as judicial reform and anti-corruption efforts, the report underscored persistent challenges. It highlighted significant concerns over the independence and efficiency of the judiciary, the politicization of public administration, and shortcomings in tackling high-level corruption. Furthermore, the report noted that the rule of law remained fragile, electoral reforms required further progress, and the protection of fundamental rights was uneven. The EC warned that unless Albania accelerated and deepened reforms, especially in these key areas, progress towards accession would be slow and uncertain.
