EPP Summit in Vienna: EU Enlargement in the Western Balkans and Migration “Under Control”

At the invitation of the ÖVP, Vienna’s Sofiensäle will become the epicenter of European center-right politics. At the European People’s Party (EPP) “Political Assembly,” leading representatives of the European Parliament’s largest political group will discuss the Union’s strategic direction. The dominant core issues: reform of asylum policy and a tangible fresh start for EU enlargement.

The Western Balkans as a Security Issue

In his special address, Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) made it clear that the admission of new members must not be a “side issue” in day-to-day Brussels politics. In light of ongoing geopolitical crises, he argued, this is rather a matter of the fundamental security, economic strength, and credibility of the entire European Union.

“The future of the Western Balkan states lies in the EU,” Stocker emphasized, warning against turning a blind eye to reality. To accelerate the process, the chancellor reiterated his call for “gradual integration.” According to this approach, candidate countries should be institutionally integrated even before achieving full membership—for example, through permanent participation in European agencies. According to Stocker, the EPP must take the lead in this regard: “Not just managing, but also shaping.”

Montenegro in the Lead

Concrete progress is emerging above all for Montenegro, which is currently considered to have the best prospects. The EPP plans to admit the Montenegrin party PES as an associate member during the Vienna meeting. Support for this course of action also comes from Minister for European Affairs Claudia Bauer (ÖVP), who is calling for the Adriatic state’s swift accession. She noted that this would send an important signal both within the EU and to other reform-oriented countries.

At the same time, Bauer called for fair treatment throughout the process. The Western Balkan states should not be left behind compared to newer candidates such as Ukraine and Moldova—strict equal treatment is required throughout the entire process.

Schüssel Warns of a “Hostile World” and Calls for Red Lines

Former Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP) made an urgent appeal to the delegates. The European Union faces historic challenges, he said, because the peace project itself “was not designed for a hostile world.” Europe is currently under pressure from all sides—whether from the advance of U.S. tech capitalism, China’s geopolitical ambitions, or the resurgence of communist ideas, for which Schüssel cited the recent election results in New York and Graz as examples. The former chancellor also attributed part of the blame for this development to his own ranks: public spending exceeding 50 percent of gross domestic product over the past six years had led to economic stagnation and fueled a mindset in which citizens viewed the state as responsible for nearly every obligation.

Schüssel sharply criticized the ideas of U.S. tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, rejecting them as incompatible with Christian Democratic core values—a stance that earned him broad applause from the audience. While he acknowledged the EU’s ability to take action in specific crises—such as in supporting Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression—he urged the EU to drastically reduce strategic dependencies by expanding its own financial, cloud, and satellite systems. At the same time, he called for more self-reflection and a closer connection to citizens. With regard to the rise of right-wing conservative forces, Schüssel acknowledged that criticism of the elites strikes a nerve: “We all live in a bubble.” Citizens do not care about internal political problems; in the end, all that matters to them is tangible results.

In the central debate on EU enlargement, Schüssel advocated for unambiguous “red lines.” There should be absolutely no compromises on the issues of corruption, the rule of law, and the obstruction of other member states. Like Chancellor Stocker, the former chancellor also advocated for a controlled, two-stage process: Under this approach, new candidate countries should first become members of the European Economic Area (EEA) before proceeding to full integration into the Union in a second step.

Weber: Migration Is “Under Control”

In addition to the issue of enlargement, party leaders took stock of one of the most contentious issues of the past decade: asylum policy. Ten years after the major refugee crisis, EPP President Manfred Weber struck an emphatically optimistic tone in Vienna. The migration issue is now “under control,” Weber said on the sidelines of the meeting. It is time for policymakers to also “talk about the success stories.”

He received backing from EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner (ÖVP). With the adoption of the EU Migration Pact, Brussels has implemented a “completely new shift in thinking,” which now underpins orderly procedures at the external borders.

EPP

ÖVP