Problems related to wanting to expand the European Union with the Balkan countries

The inclusive vision of Germany, probably partly explainable by the economic advantages to be gained for itself, of the Balkan countries within the European Union sees an acceleration on the part of Chancellor Merkel, who recently reaffirmed her position, while acknowledging that the integration process still requires the achievement of various conditions and requirements. According to Merkel, the six Balkan countries, which have not yet been integrated into the European Union, must be able to join Brussels because this is of fundamental strategic importance for Europe and the Union must be a protagonist and lead this process. This vision is conditioned by the fear, in Europe and the United States, that the vitality of political and financial action, especially in China, but also in Russia, could lead to cumbersome presences on the European borders, both from a geopolitical and a military point of view. This is a shared perplexity, which, however, cannot justify rash adhesions because they are not convinced of European values ​​and which, consequently, could become a factor of further alteration of the already fragile internal balances of the Union. The question is fundamental for the very survival of the European Union: accessions instrumental to the economic benefits of most of the countries of the former Soviet bloc should constitute a warning to practice an acceptance of new members based on more selective and secure criteria for the common European home. Too many times now cases such as the refusal to share migrants or the promulgation of illiberal laws and in blatant contrast with the inspiring principles of a united Europe, have sparked bitter confrontations among the members of the Union, which have slowed down their political life. It is also necessary to remember the case of Brexit, as an ever-present warning of a country never completely convinced of the European project, but able to ensure, however, substantial advantages for its economy. If the English doubts were based on utilitarian themes, for the Balkan countries the real question is whether these peoples and, consequently, the governments they express, have the necessary democratic maturity to be able to join Europe. Unfortunately, this question still has a negative answer if one thinks of the work and the laws, which trample on civil rights within the Union, of countries such as Poland and Hungary, which have proved to be clearly immature from the point of view of democratic thinking, probably because within them they have not carried out a process capable of elaborating democratic values ​​in a complete way. The presence, still too intrusive, within the societies of these countries of the anti-libertarian communist custom is still conditioning the ability to accept the social evolution of those countries, favoring a typical ideology in the ways of the far right, not far away, therefore, from the totalitarian conception in force in the Soviet bloc. If the parts of the Balkan countries really in favor of joining the Union, not only for the economic benefits, will be able to emerge and show a real change in the society of those countries, nothing will prevent them from entering Europe, but for the moment doubts many still appear. To further sacrifice European values, only to prevent the Chinese and Russian advance, appears to be a worse solution to the problem, when, on the other hand, it would be advisable to ask whether to continue to allow countries that are not deserving of this privilege to be part of Europe at all. Instead of a too inclusive policy, it would be preferable to implement more stringent inclusion criteria, necessary for greater protection of European cohesion. It can be objected that such a policy could alienate the pretenders to join the Union too far, up to totally contrary choices, however the Turkish example says that having prevented Ankara from entering Brussels has preserved Europe from having a a real dictatorship, which would only bring havoc within the European institutions, with completely destabilizing consequences for the life of the Union. It is therefore necessary to develop alternative tactics to an internal or external process, which know how to surpass the current times and methods of insertion, although certainly not short. One idea could be a collaboration based on a sort of federation to the Union of non-member states, with the possibility for European officials to examine the capacity of democracy and respect for rights from within the institutions of these countries, in order to obtain a more direct judgment of the real intentions of the candidate states. What is needed, in conclusion, is the verification of the real conviction of accession to Europe, to avoid entries due to the exclusive transposition of economic benefits, but also to prevent historical members of the Union from benefiting from them.