Bosnia-Herzegovina moved a small step closer to the European Union on Wednesday with the EU’s executive advising member states to grant it candidate member status despite continuing criticism of the way the Balkan nation is run.
The advice had been hotly anticipated in ethnically-divided Bosnia, which is lagging behind several other Balkan nations in being granted candidate status to become a member of the prosperous European club of 27 nations.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi told a European Parliament committee during the presentation of the annual enlargement report that the executive "recommends that candidate status be granted" by the member states, pending a slew of commitments for fundamental reform.
"Wind of change is once again blowing through Europe and we have to capture this momentum," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech. "The Western Balkans belong in our family and we have to make this very, very clear."
Bosnia’s foreign minister welcomed the decision, describing it as "historic."
"This sends a strong message to the citizens (of Bosnia), one we have been hoping to get even earlier, that our future is as a member of the (EU) family,” Bisera Turkovic said on Twitter.
The Commission can only advise which nations should become EU candidates, and all member states must agree unanimously on such a step. Varhelyi said he hoped the member states would make a quick move, possibly as early as December, since the geopolitical changes in the region spurred by Russia's war in Ukraine, made speed essential.
Von der Leyen said the EU's opponents view the Balkans as "a geopolitical chessboard" seeking to "drive a wedge between the region and the rest of Europe."
Once a country becomes a candidate, it can still take years, sometimes many years, before membership in the club becomes a reality.
Varhelyi warned Bosnian political leaders to move swiftly on badly-needed reforms.
"We are doing this for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. But it also comes with high expectations. It is for the elites to turn this into reality,” Varhelyi said.
He said to become a candidate, the Bosnian leaders needed reforms on issues ranging from the judiciary to battling corruption and pushing through constitutional and electoral changes. Little progress on those issues has been made in recent years.
Even early this week, amid widespread reports of fraud in Bosnia's recent general election, the country's top electoral body announced it would conduct a recount in the race to become the next Bosnian Serb president, a ballot that was allegedly rigged by a staunchly pro-Russian leader.
The Commission made several non-encouraging assessments in other sectors too, outlining limited or no progress in reforms of public administration, the judiciary and the fight against corruption and organized crime. To be a candidate, a nation does not have to meet all criteria but must show a commitment to do so.
