EU will not make any concessions to candidate countries, says Schinas

Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas in his speech on Monday at the Thessaloniki Summit 2023 highlighted that no concessions will be made for the admittance of countries in the Western Balkans and the greater region to the European Union.

“Regarding the Western Balkans and the greater region’s efforts to join the EU, there are two clear red-lines,” he said. 

“The first one requires the candidate to have absolute certainty on the country’s capability to respect democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and to uphold the fundamental values and social model of the EU,” he stressed. 

The second red line Schinas underscored expects candidate countries to “accept, without any reservations, the EU’s geopolitical orientation in today’s uncertain global realm.” This is to warn states “who believe that they can combine self-interested orientations with European values,” added Schinas.