tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492174345240444269.post6882939739258106255..comments2023-09-09T14:46:37.354+02:00Comments on Julien Frisch: Romanian foreign minister: "Continue enlargement!"Julien Frischhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167141111642456560noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492174345240444269.post-58078528600200748512008-07-25T15:58:00.000+02:002008-07-25T15:58:00.000+02:00I agree with both of you. The post-2004 developmen...I agree with both of you. The post-2004 developments should not be ignored, and I suppose that everyone within the Union is aware of this fact.<BR/><BR/>However, the "enlargement fatigue" in Western Europe seems to become a very conservative (= status quo oriented) drive that also turns back to institutional issues:<BR/><BR/>If you say that the EU should enlarge, you do not really need to foster institutional reforms. Yet, the European Union needs institutional reforms in order to make it more accountable to the citizens, the member states and to itself.<BR/><BR/>And without the European vision, those reforms will not happen and without the reform there is not even a slightly realistic chance for enlargement, which will also slow down democratic and institutional reforms in those countries aspiring membership.<BR/><BR/>Besides, anonymous, since you mention the <A HREF="http://www.coe.int" REL="nofollow">Council of Europe</A>: From my point of view, the EU could use the Council of Europe much more than it does today. Within the Council of Europe, states from within the Union and from without are sitting together on a rather equal level and within this forum old, new, and possible future EU members could work on the problems that they face, especially concerning human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Yet, Brussels would have to make full usage of the Strasbourg institution.Julien Frischhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18167141111642456560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492174345240444269.post-10352988875209540402008-07-25T15:04:00.000+02:002008-07-25T15:04:00.000+02:00I agree when you signal the dangers of an inward-l...I agree when you signal the dangers of an inward-looking, institutionnally obsessed Europe. Enlargement has probably been the EU's most effective foreign policy tool.<BR/>It has however been twisted somewhat by the way the 2004 enlargement got worked out as a "lump package" of 10+2 states. The idea of enlargement, still professed officially and still at work as Karadzic's arrest shows is: reform and become democracies first, join the club after.<BR/>But as the Commission report on Romania&Bulgaria shows, this logic has been jettissoned for the Council of Europe approach of "join when you're half ready, and inside the club peer-pressure will do the rest". I'm not sure once inside the pressure remains as high.<BR/>The Irish "no"(or the French and Dutch "noes") show that in fact, once inside, doing what you're told by "Brussels" doesn't seem <I>that</I> appealing.<BR/>I'm not saying that it should be, just that exerting strong "soft power" in actually easier before enlargement that after.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492174345240444269.post-87805645305076212112008-07-25T03:05:00.000+02:002008-07-25T03:05:00.000+02:00Agree. At least theoretically, the EU should keep...Agree. At least theoretically, the EU should keep future enlargement as an option. From it, Brussels derives tremendous "soft power," and ought to take care not to loose it.<BR/><BR/>Having said that, the "enlargement fatigue" cannot be ignored. Doing so now risks greater problems in the future - including a proportionately larger backlash.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com