Press release | Serbian Minister of European Integration: “This enlargement is the completion of Europe”

Brussels, 07 November 2024 – Enlargement was front and centre at this year’s State of Europe where the issue of fatigue was raised with different views from the Western Balkans. Raising the alarm, Tanja Miščevič, Serbian Minister of European Integration, warned that popular support for her country’s integration in the EU has been steadily declining from over 70% in the early 2010s to only 50% nowadays, “because the process is very long.”

As a clear illustration, the Serbian minister spoke of a recent encounter with the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs during his visit to Serbia with a group of young people. “All eight students said they were not interested in EU membership. We are promising from the beginning of their lives that we will join very soon and nothing is happening”, alerted Miščevič. Nonetheless, the minister remained optimistic, “This enlargement is the completion of Europe”, she said.

For Megi Fino, Albanian Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and 2024 European Young Leader (EYL40), the issue is “clear-cut”, she exclaimed “it’s been our lifelong dream and vocation to be part of the EU.”

Starting off, Oleksii Sobolev, Ukrainian First Deputy Minister of Economy, said that “Ukraine is not doing ok, but is doing ok at the same time.” Last year, the Ukrainian economy grew 5% and is on track to grow 3.5% this year. On inflation, the minister said that “it is comparable to other countries, right now is in the middle single digits”.

On the sources of funding, specifically international financial assistance, the Ukrainian minister lamented, “We understand that this assistance is going to decrease in the future. We definitely rely on international financial assistance.” That’s why, Sobolev stressed, Ukraine expects Russians assets to be for Ukraine. “Russia has to pay for what it did and it must pay for recovery”.

“We’re fighting, we’re growing the economy and we’re doing the reforms at the same time. It’s very stressful but it’s the only way we can move forward”, the Ukrainian minister concluded.

On a positive note, James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), reminded everyone, “it is always important to remember how Ukraine is doing”: “They [Russia] thought the war was going to be over in days. Ukraine is still standing, its will is strong.”

And why is Ukraine doing so well while being numerically outmatched? “It is because of creative use of technology”. Nonetheless, Appathurai warned, “this is going to be a very difficult winter”, with Russia continuously targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. “It is an element of war. 60% of the energy infrastructure has been destroyed”, said Appathurai.

Organised in Brussels each year, Friends of Europe’s State of Europe brings key personalities from across Europe in the field of politics, climate activism, economics, arts and many others. This year’s big tickets items were competitiveness, enlargement, climate change, the war in Ukraine and the digital transition.

Quotes highlights:

“I hope that the next mandate will be an implementing mandate.” – Margrethe Vestager, European Commission Executive Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age and Commissioner for Competition

“There can be no competitiveness without competition. To succeed on the global market, European businesses must exercise their muscles at home. We need a Single Market where businesses are challenged to innovate, and bring the best affordable products and services to 450 million Europeans.” – Margrethe Vestager, European Commission Executive Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age and Commissioner for Competition

“I’m very concerned about the European leadership [which is developing] the most aggressive anti-immigration stance. Lack of immigration and a closed borders policy [will result] in the ageing of the population and reduced diversity and entrepreneurship. We cannot ignore these reasons but it shouldn’t be fully open borders nor [completely] closed borders.” – António Leitão Amaro, Portuguese Minister of the Presidency

“[On enlargement] We have countries that have waited for a while and have done their homework. Let’s take away the pressure of ‘all or nothing’. Let’s not wait until everything is perfect to put the ribbon on the parcel.” – Arancha González Laya, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po and former Spanish minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation

“The EU has been leading the world in tangible, visible climate action resulting in sustained emission declines while growing our economies. However, there are many areas where enshrining our business-as-usual rather than endeavouring into disruptive 21st century solutions and economies have been stifling our ability to become global leaders in new industrial and economic areas.” – Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice-Chair at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Professor at the Central European University (CEU)

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