Kolakovic: It is good for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue that there is continuity in the European Commission

A second term for Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission, according to Aleksandra Kolakovic, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Political Studies, will be a continuation of her first term, with the European Commission now striving to strengthen Europe. Regarding the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, she notes that this issue is strategically important for Europe in terms of its security.

When it comes to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Kolakovic states that it is always better when there is continuity.

"In the sense that if you have started communication with certain individuals, it is beneficial to continue that communication in the next phase. If there were significant changes, it would always require time for all those people to get better acquainted with the situation on the ground. Here, it is evident that there is already a process ongoing with, I would say, more setbacks and a few advancements," Kolakovic says.

Speaking about the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, she says that there is a framework of a rounded, homogeneous Europe, European states that are all in one geopolitical space.

"We see that there is talk about the countries aspiring to become full members of the EU from the Western Balkans receiving certain financial aid, or funds, and entering a space where they can experience all the benefits of the European Union and understand why becoming an EU member is advantageous. This leads to some form of integration before the final integration. We have been waiting for this for quite a long time, the years keep shifting, and there is a certain fatigue and growing euroskepticism. This euroskepticism also grows with the rise of right-wing parties, making the integration process more difficult from both sides, but it is something that will undoubtedly be worked on, as we see in the context of Hungary's presidency of the EU Council, which has just begun," Kolakovic says.

She believes that the future leadership of the EU will work on the homogenization of Europe itself and ensure that the decisions made are consistent.

"Now we have an economically stronger Europe and a Europe of new technologies and innovations, but on the other hand, it is a Europe that firmly stands by the stance that Ukraine needs to be protected and that the issue of European security is essentially the issue of Ukraine," Kolakovic concludes.