• Re:The next enlargement round – the Balkan challenge

So Germany has once again proposed “privileged partnership” for Turkey, which again opposes this idea. I think that this idea should be considered more as alternative, not due same reasons than in EU (to keep Turkey outside) but due benefits in wannabe countries e.g. in Balkans. My estimation still is that there will be some grey area between non- and full EU membership called e.g. “privileged partnership” which could offer attractive alternative for Turkey but why not also e.g. for Serbia.

All Balkan countries have their own development paths – some countries are going to join fast to EU (Croatia), some are going to do it later (Macedonia, Albania), some are maybe looking alliances from other directions (Serbia), Kosovo will be international protectorate – a quasi-state captured by organized crime tribes - also next decade; Bosnia will totter between breakup, federation/confederation, state, protectorate depending inner politics and exterior influences.

Related to EU integration from Serbian point of view I could imagine that they are considering following questions in their heads: Are European perspective and EU membership the same? Are benefits from joining to EU bigger or less than being outside it? Is there any alternative strategic alliances to EU? From my viewpoint Turkey too might ask same questions.

From my point of view countries considering possible EU membership should think if joining to EU is worth of time, money and bureaucracy it demands. Visa arrangements, free trade and some EU programs are possible also for non-members. Similar discussion has been also in Britain's right wing with simple policy recommendation: UK should “withdraw from the political EU Superstate, and maintain a trade-based relationship with our European neighbours using a Swiss-style free trade agreement as the EU’s largest single trading partner”.

However I think that at this moment it would be good idea to continue EU process but not because of fulfilling EU needs. The motivation should be the needs of the local population not EU elite in Brussels. Also from my point of view same time economical cooperation with Russia and other BRIC countries can create real development on the ground instead slow development on the EU’s negotiation tables.

More e.g. in my post “Serbia on the road to EU” - http://arirusila.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/serbia-on-the-road-to-eu/

By Ari Rusila on4/24/201008:53

• Re:The next enlargement round – the Balkan challenge

This article is well researched and well written. The author is commended for that.

A few comments may be in place as for the author's conclusions. Concerning Bosnia, it used to be a highly industrialized part of former Yugoslavia - given the infrastructure of the former country. If things do not look all that rosy nowadays, as Dr Húszka aptly points out, it may be due to "environmental factors": a relatively large, mountanious country, relatively sparsely populated, with no significant natural resources and no market to speak of, cannot face anything but trouble. Instead of trying to pump life into a body that cannot live on its own, it might be more viable to create a sort of confederation with Serbia (or possibly with Croatia) to defuse many of the problems pointed out in the article.

In the forecast for Hungary's (shared) presidency, the author does not distinguish sufficiently well between what Hungary will do and can it do. Traditionally, Hungary usually has greater, loudly advertised plans than what it can bring to fruition. As there are significant economic problems (and perhaps other problems, too) looming ahead, I doubt that many of the plans outlined in the article will see the light of day.

However, no matter how few of the plans will materialize, their materialization will still be a step forward in a part of Europe that has a great political and historic importance. Not in the least, Dr Húszka's article can serve as a good point of departure for other politicians wishing to carry something out, rather than dispensing good advice and pointing their fingers.

By Igor Gazdík on4/27/201017:55

• Re:The next enlargement round – the Balkan challenge

very interesting < ahref="http://www.europesworld.org/">!

By jamison songit on9/1/201003:10

• Re:The next enlargement round – the Balkan challenge

very interesting!

By jamison songit on9/1/201003:11