Who is seen as "European" in Europe? And who is "European" enough for the EU?

by Danielle Sekel, graduate student in Musicology and FLAS fellow at the EU Center.

This blog post was written for the course "Dialogue on Europe" during the Fall 2019 semester.

These are questions that continue to be relevant, with comments such as Bulgarian President Roumen Radev's call for Bulgaria to become a "normal European country", and French President Emmanuel Macron referring to Bosnia and Herzegovina as a "ticking time-bomb" in a recent interview with The Economist.  With such statements abounding in the current dialogue, it seems as good a time as any to pay close attention to not only the problems faced by those Balkan and Eastern European countries that already have a place in the EU and those that are struggling to gain entrance, but also the views held by others concerning their current and future status.

With Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia among the current candidate countries, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo as potential candidates, it seems that the European Union is at a crossroads of sorts, with the possibility of a significant change in the makeup of the Union through the inclusion of more Balkan members.  However, despite enlargement pushes from Hungary to expedite Montenegro and Serbia's entrance into the EU, Macron effectively blocked North Macedonia's bid.  Despite widespread backlash concerning this unmistakable setback for Balkan candidate countries, it remains clear that the road to EU entry will be long for the candidate countries, and both longer and rougher for the potential candidates.

ICAR Canned Beef Monument in Sarajevo.
Photo by Danielle Sekel.

Most recently, Bosnia and Herzegovina has come under fire not only through Macron's biting words, but also in their performance concerning the migrant crisis and housing of migrants within the country.  With more and more light being shed on the state of migrant camps, the rest of the world is becoming aware of the ongoing issues faced by refugees living in Vucijak, a camp with no running water that was haphazardly built atop a former landfill amidst mine fields from the most recent war.  European Union officials have repeatedly called for the closure of the Vucijak camp; however, it seems there is nothing put in place in the case that the camp is successfully closed.  Paired with Macron' recently voiced concern of the problem of "returning jihadists" to the country, it remains evident that there are harmful views of Bosnia being circulated still.  In the capital of Sarajevo, whispers of the European Union's assistance in the form of canned beef during the most recent war can be seen--consider for a moment the ironic ICAR Canned Beef Monument dedicated to the international community from the "grateful citizens of Sarajevo."  Now decrepit, the monument still clearly states the complexity of the region's past, but still leaves us to question the future of these European nations.

Following the blocking of both Albania and North Macedonia, one must consider what place Balkan nations with significant Muslim populations have in the future of the European Union.  Is there a future version of the EU that includes a place for countries such as Albania, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina?  And if so, does this future version include such countries in more than . amerely marginal manner?  The answer seems unclear given recent ruminations on the current state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the anger felt throughout North Macedonia and Albania regarding recent setbacks, and increasing tensions throughout the region.  It very well may be time to revisit the Bulgarian President's question of what constitutes a "normal" European country and really consider it from a number of standpoints throughout the European Union.

Posted in: Balkan States,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Dialogue on Europe,Emmanuel Macron,European Identity,Roumen Radev