Opportunities and pitfalls on the road to the EU

 

 

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On May 23, the Directorate General for International Affairs of the Ludovika University of Public Service (LUPS) organized an international discussion titled “The 28th EU Member State?” on Serbia’s European integration at the Ludovika Main Building. At the event, three invited experts answered questions posed by Erik Palusek, Senior Advisor at Directorate General: Dejan Pralica, Professor at the University of Novi Sad; Marko Todorović, from the European Policy Centre in Belgrade; and Julianna Ármás, Researcher at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs. During the panel discussion, participants examined the opportunities and pitfalls that may arise on the path to the European Union for our southern neighbour in light of current political issues affecting the world and the Western Balkans.

It was mentioned that ten years ago, more than half of Serbs supported EU membership, but according to recent surveys, this number has dropped to 46%. People previously hoped to get closer to the benefits offered by the Union but did not realize that membership also comes with obligations. Regarding the status of Kosovo, participants noted that it is somewhat understandable that the EU links the normalization of relations between the two states to the accession process. However, this obligation cannot be unilateral, and the international community should understand that the current Kosovo government is not cooperative.

Text: Tibor Sarnyai

Photo: Dénes Szilágyi