The two primary institutions in Brussels, namely the European Commission and the European Council, have tensely discussed due to Charles Michel’s statement that the European bloc should be prepared to admit new members by 2030.

“We are not fixated on a specific date; our focus lies on several closely aligned criteria for candidate countries to integrate into the European Union,” stated Dana Spinant, Deputy Spokeswoman of the European Commission, during a press conference.

She further mentioned that Charles Michel had not consulted with Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen regarding the content of his speech delivered at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia.

The most recent public disagreement between Von Der Leyen and Michel, often referred to as “Europe’s odd couple” due to their strained relationship, arises as the subject of EU enlargement continues to be a contentious issue in Brussels.

Prime Minister Edi Rama also addressed the differing stances between the two European Union institutions in response. In a social media post on platform ‘X’, he employed a metaphor to illustrate the integration process of Western Balkan countries.

Sharing an article from Politico that highlights the conflicts between the two EU institutions, Rama wrote that being on the European Union bus, even without a seat, is safer than being on a Russian plane. He emphasized his confidence that the EU bus would never experience a crash.

“Indeed, a bus can never transform into a plane… However, rest assured that in the present circumstances, remaining aboard an EU bus, even if without a seat, is far safer than occupying a seat on a Russian plane. Though the journey may progress slowly and our destination lies quite distant, there’s one undeniable certainty: This bus will never encounter a crash,” expressed Rama in his statement.

Additionally, just yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed that the European Union should expedite its acceptance of candidate countries.

Several Balkan nations have been in a waiting period for years as they aspire to join the European Union. According to the established legal framework, these countries are obligated to fulfill numerous criteria before they can proceed with integration.

EU leaders are set to discuss this matter during a summit scheduled for October, particularly given that the conflict in Ukraine has once again sparked discussions about the expansion of the bloc.

Currently, there are eight countries in the queue, with Ukraine and Moldova among them. Both Ukraine and Moldova were awarded candidate status in the past year, leading to growing pressure to initiate accession negotiations with Ukraine by the close of this year.

/m.ll/