Enlargement Perspectives for the Western Balkans - The Role of Parliaments

More+Events ♦ Published: October 11, 2018; 18:28 ♦ (Vindobona)

During a panel discussion in the Austrian Parliament, the perspective of enlargement for the Western Balkans and, in this context, the role of parliaments were discussed. The future of the six candidate countries in the Western Balkans is within the EU. They need an honest perspective for this common future with the EU Member States. The EU must contribute to ensuring the stability of the democracies in these countries. The former President of the German Bundestag, Norbert Lammert, attended the discussion.

From right: Wolfgang Sobotka, Walter Rosenkranz, Andreas Schieder, Oliver Jens Schmitt, Liliana Tanguy, Michael Gahler, Christian Danielsson, Alma Zadic, Reinhold Lopatka, Hans-Peter Siebenhaar / Picture: © Parlamentsdirektion / Thomas Topf

The member states of the EU are urged to meet the accession candidates at eye level.

The Western Balkan countries include four recognised candidates for future membership of the European Union (Macedonia (applied on 22 March 2004), Montenegro (applied in 2008), Albania (applied in 2009), and Serbia (applied in 2009)), and two potential candidates for membership by the EU (Kosovo,…