Merz urges EU to prove it can expand, as Balkans seek membership

Friedrich Merz used the Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Montenegro, to press the European Union on its most basic credibility test: whether it can still enlarge. The German chancellor argued that the bloc should do more than keep the door open and should show that membership remains a realistic strategic goal for Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo, all stuck at different stages of accession.

His warning came against a backdrop that has changed sharply since Russia’s war against Ukraine. Enlargement is again being treated in Brussels as a geopolitical tool, not just an institutional exercise. EU leaders have increasingly said bringing in the Western Balkans would reduce the room for foreign powers to shape politics, security and investment across Europe’s periphery. But the process remains slow and legally demanding, requiring years of negotiations and unanimous approval from all 27 member states at each step.

The summit in Tivat, held six months after the previous EU-Western Balkans gathering in Brussels, carried the theme “Shared prosperity and stability of the EU and the Western Balkans.” The European Council said leaders would reiterate their “full and unequivocal commitment” to the region’s membership perspective and assess “gradual integration,” a formula meant to bring the Western Balkans into parts of the single market before full accession. The bloc’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, launched in 2023, includes up to €6 billion in reforms and investments, and EU officials say the Union is already the region’s primary trading partner, investor and donor.

Merz’s message also exposed the gap between summit language and the EU’s actual capacity to absorb new members. Reuters reported that he said the lack of a new member for 13 years also reflects shortcomings on the EU side. Germany and France have been pushing gradual integration, while Merz has floated associate-member status for Ukraine as a bridge toward accession. French President Emmanuel Macron tied enlargement to Europe’s independence in energy, security and migration routes, underscoring how closely the debate now tracks wider strategic anxieties.

The summit produced more concrete markers for Montenegro. António Costa said there was “clear momentum on enlargement” and that drafting of Montenegro’s accession treaty was underway. Ursula von der Leyen said Montenegro was “within reach” of EU membership by 2028. Reuters also reported that Albania aims to finish its 35 negotiating chapters by the end of 2027, while Moldova and Ukraine have been cleared to begin formal negotiations. Aleksandar Vučić and Edi Rama have argued for faster integration, including new members entering without veto rights, a sign that some candidates are already pushing the EU to match its rhetoric with a timetable that can be believed.