Europaministerens tale på Beograd Universitet

Dear students, professors – everyone,

 

I am very pleased to be here today. As you may know, Denmark is taking over the Presidency of the EU next summer. In order to prepare for that, I am going to visit all the candidate countries in advance of our Presidency.

My very first visit is here in Belgrade because Serbia is a key player in the Western Balkans. And because Serbia is a country, who can rapidly progress on its way to EU membership.

My key message to you today is this: We want Serbia as part of the European Union!

But of course, it will require a lot of work and reforms from you.

 

***

 

If you want to discuss the future of Serbia, there is no better audience than you gathered here today.

I don’t think I’m making any wild assumptions if I say that some of Serbia’s future leaders are sitting in this very auditorium. Future politicians and leaders in the administration and business.

You are quite literally the future of this country. You are the people who are going to decide the direction for Serbia. It’s really an honour having your attention this afternoon.

As the youth of Serbia, I’m sure that you want the same as any other young generation around the world: You want a future with more prosperity, more opportunities, more progress.

The question is how to get there.

As many other Balkan countries, we know from polls that Serbia’s citizens see their future within the European Union. But sadly, in the past years, we have seen a decline in this support.

Many people have the feeling that the process is simply too long. That the goal posts keep moving. And that the bar is higher than it used to be.

I truly understand this frustration. And it is not altogether unwarranted.

Some Serbians maybe even have the feeling that the European Union is not really interested in enlarging with the Western Balkans.

I am here to tell you: That is not true. We do want you as part of the Union.

I am well aware that the process is hard. A lot is being asked of you, and the reform process is far from easy.

If some Serbians get the impression that the goal posts are constantly being moved, it’s not completely without reason.

First of all, the European Union keeps becoming more and more integrated. The pile of laws and regulations keep growing and growing. And candidate countries have to implement all the laws – also the new ones appearing in the process. In other words, the task keeps getting a little bigger.

Second, the EU has raised its standards in certain areas. We have had our problems in the past and we have learned from our mistakes.

Democracy and rule of law are non-negotiable conditions. They are at the core of our union. It is not enough to pretend and say the right things. The proper institutions have to be in place to make sure the fundamental values of the EU are being upheld.

We have learned from our mistakes. And the fact is, we have simply been too laissez-fair in the past.

The EU is not just a large free-trade area. It is much more. The European Union is a community based on deep-rooted, shared values. All our thousand of pages of laws and regulations are not just grey bureaucracy. They are based on those shared values and principles.

So, if Serbians have experienced frustration about the process over the past years, I truly understand that. But the fact that the process is hard does not mean we don’t want you in the Union. Because we do.

 

***

 

A few years ago, there was much talk of enlargement fatigue. But Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 put an end to that.

We simply need a bigger and stronger union. That includes Ukraine. And it includes the Western Balkans.

Over the past two years, Ukraine and Moldova have made tremendous progress in their enlargement process. They have made drastic and difficult reforms and they have shown strong commitment to EU’s values.

The countries in the Western Balkans are in a much better position to advance on the EU path. But, sadly, the progress has been slower.

It seems there has a reluctance to engage in the painful, but necessary reforms. Maybe because of historical grievances between some of the candidate countries and neighbouring member states. And lately, because there has been – especially here in Serbia – a reluctance to join the EU’s policies towards Russia.

I know that Serbia has a long history of close relations with Russia. There are strong cultural and religious bonds between your nations. That is normal and understandable between neighbouring countries.

But sadly, Russia has launched a completely unwarranted attack on its neighbour. It has committed war crimes against Ukrainian civilians. And it actively seeks to undermine our European societies.

Russia has put us in a place where you can’t have it both ways. You have to choose sides. You cannot be a member of the EU and at the same time support a regime who seeks to undermine the EU.

As the generation of tomorrow, I hope you will make your voices heard and call for Serbia to follow its European aspirations. It is no easy path to follow. It comes with great work and effort. But it will be worth it in the end.

 

***

 

 

When Denmark assumes its EU presidency in 2025, enlargement of the EU will be a top priority for me.

In fact, it was under the last Danish presidency that Serbia became a candidate country. I sincerely hope we can make equal headway under the next Danish Presidency.

We want a strong Serbia who will engage firmly in the European family and help bring about a new and better Union.

The truth is that no candidate country is better suited to embark on ambitious reforms than Serbia. You have strong institutions, a well-organized civil service, and a long history of international negotiations.

If Serbia fully commits to the process, it could become the 28^th member of the European Union. I want that to happen and I am sure a lot of you sitting in this room want it too.

But it’s not going to happen by itself.

I am counting on you to help make it happen. It’s not going to be easy, but we stand ready to help along the way.

 

Thank you.