The fifth edition of the EU Meets the Balkans Forum, which was organized by the European Liberal Forum (ELF) in cooperation with the ALDE Party and the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, took place here on Friday at Sofia Tech Park. The President of ELF and Member of the European Parliament, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, was also present and at the forum he said that liberals are convinced that the Balkans’ future lies within Europe and is closely linked to the continent’s stability, security and democratic forces. Oetjen described the forum as one of the most important events which discusses the European future of the Balkans. He stressed that EU expansion is not merely a technical matter, despite the need to meet the required criteria and follow the relevant procedures and added that ELF supports the expansion by working with liberal parties in the Western Balkan countries that share their European aspirations, while also engaging with the EU as a whole. Montenegro is making progress towards EU membership, Oetjen said, adding that existing arrangements may need to be reconsidered and further changes identified to support the process. He said the EU must be able to make decisions quickly, noting that Montenegro is making considerable efforts to join the bloc and become part of the European family. At the same time, he warned that future EU expansion would test the ability of European democracy to safeguard its own path. Oetjen recalled the issue of Bulgaria and Romania joining the Schengen area, which was blocked by some EU member states. That is why the European Liberal Forum is working for a reform of the EU decision-making system and changes to the veto rules. The aim is to prevent the possibility of a single country to block the Western Balkan countries’ European integration. He stressed that the proposal is not intended to remove safeguards protecting smaller countries and their national interests, but to prevent the EU from being held hostage to the decision of a single member state. Oetjen stressed that democracy is losing ground in Georgia and Europe must support all democratic forces in that country working to defend it. He said action had been taken against opposition groups, including through the Constitutional Court. Oetjen said democracy cannot be built by suppressing political opponents and restricting their participation in political life. He stressed that political pluralism is essential to defending democracy in all countries, including Georgia. Europe must be ready for expansion and must support the reforms in the candidate countries towards their readiness to become new EU members, concluded the President of ELF.
MEP Jan-Christoph Oetjen: Future of Balkans Closely Linked to Europe’s Stability, Security 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-18 12:46:50
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BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-09-18 12:46:50