EU Seeks to Rebuild Bridges to the Balkans: Brussels Edition

Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen takes part in a virtual summit on the western Balkans today after a scolding from the U.S. about leaving an open flank for Russia and China. The quest for EU membership has stalled in six countries for a variety of reasons. For North Macedonia, it was objections from Bulgaria about the origins of its name and language; others such as Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina have so far failed to implement the necessary economic and judicial reforms. As a result, European influence in the territory of 18 million people is at a low point, leaving the nations vulnerable to “predatory overtures” from more autocratic states, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Europe Philip Reeker said on Friday. Von der Leyen, already mired in a prolonged spat with Hungary and Poland over their alternative versions of democracy, will have to tread a fine line between sticking to the small print of accession criteria and reviving membership talks if the EU is to regain credibility.