Brussels has awakened to a renewed rush of accession hopes as Balkan and reform-minded states re-enter the EU calendar after years of stall. At the Euronews Enlargement Summit, leaders welcomed a fresh momentum described by the European Commission in its progress report, with Albania, Montenegro, and Moldova cited as moving toward membership within the next decade. Albania’s prime minister Edi Rama framed the moment in stark terms: a crisis on European soil jolted Brussels into action, and now the real test is whether this energy will endure. Moldova’s president Maia Sandu added that without tangible progress in the next three years, the EU’s credibility—and voters’ trust—could be fatally eroded.
Montenegro, the most advanced Western Balkan candidate, appears on track to close all negotiation clusters by the end of 2026, according to Deputy Prime Minister Filip Ivanović, who called the report “the best” since talks began and described enlargement as the bloc’s most important policy for strengthening Europe’s geopolitical position. Moldova’s Sandu has a clear horizon of 2030, but warned that failure to deliver could position the EU as a target of influence from inside and outside. Serbia, meanwhile, remains publicly committed to reform, but President Aleksandar Vučić acknowledged that progress has stalled and must be pursued seriously. North Macedonia’s leadership, led by Hristijan Mickoski, voiced frustration at decades of inertia—citing Greek veto and Bulgarian concerns over minority rights, history, and language—as a painful reminder that even long-standing reformers face blocking disciplines. Rama himself lamented “years of humiliation” at the hands of stalled talks, a sentiment that underscores the fatigue in the region despite shared values.
The Commission’s framing is unambiguous: candidates want full membership, no probation period, and full voting rights. Yet the path remains fragile. While Montenegro’s near-term target to finish clusters by 2026 signals tangible progress, real membership will require sustained consensus across EU institutions, alignment of reforms, and credible horizon for the applicant states. The Ukraine war undeniably sharpened the urgency, but the enlargement agenda now sits in a broader European security and governance context, where timing, political will, and domestic politics on both sides of the table will determine whether this momentum translates into actual accession rather than another postponement. As observers and skeptics, we must weigh the optimism against historical patterns of vetoes, fatigue, and shifting EU priorities, even as the region’s capitals press forward with renewed resolve for a comprehensive, long-awaited European future.
