Arsovski: It would be good for Western Balkan countries not to have veto rights for some time after joining the EU

Analyst from Skopje Petar Arsovski believes that joining the European Union without veto rights would be a good temporary option for Western Balkan countries, because it would avoid their mutual rivalry in the initial period.

“The right to a veto is essentially intended for smaller countries in order to protect them from being outvoted. I think it is good for Balkan countries not to have a veto for some time, because if they give us a veto, there will be an explosion of dissatisfaction and competition among us in the first ten years. It is good for each country to gain the right to a veto only after it has already had some kind of experience in the EU for ten years,” Arsovski tells Kosovo Online.

Commenting on the fact that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has expressed readiness for Albania, as an EU member state, to give up veto rights, even to go without its own commissioner in the European Commission, as a guarantee to partners that it would not become a blocking factor within the Union, Arsovski says he believes that such a stance by Rama will speed up Albania’s path toward the EU.

“The EU is in a position where it does not know whether membership should be in one or two rounds, and it is constantly wavering over what the final package for the Western Balkan countries will look like. I think this response by Edi Rama is the right response to such EU indecisiveness – to respond with more determination and greater willingness to compromise. With his response, he has de facto trapped the EU. Now they have to advocate for Albania’s integration and must speed up and deliver what they truly promised. So this approach will absolutely accelerate or make more secure Albania’s entry into the EU,” Arsovski concludes.