Ljubljana, 28 April 2026 (MIA) — European Union enlargement has to remain based on merit and not be hindered by political bickering, Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi said Tuesday. 

According to an official press release, Gashi told an international conference in Ljubljana that Western Balkan states deserved a fairer approach, pointing out that they were currently better prepared for EU membership than some previous countries were when they joined the bloc. 

Gashi’s remarks came during the 3rd International Meeting of Friends of the Western Balkans organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center under the title "The Western Balkans in the Vortex of the New Security Geopolitics."

"The Western Balkans are not a periphery that should be left to wait, but a part of Europe that strives to be completed," Gashi said.

He proposed a "bolder approach" — admitting all six Western Balkan countries as a single package.

According to Gashi, immediate integration would speed up democratic reforms, strengthen the rule of law and help settle bilateral disputes currently blocking progress.

"The Republic of North Macedonia, since its independence in 1991, has clearly defined its strategic orientation towards Euro-Atlantic integration," the parliament speaker said.

"This political objective is not a random choice, but is deeply embedded in the foundations of our statehood. As a broad social and institutional consensus, it has survived political changes, internal challenges and external obstacles, always remaining our strategic compass and an expression of our civic aspiration," he said.

Recalling the region’s history of compromise, Gashi pointed to North Macedonia’s 2018 landmark agreement with Greece to change the country's name as an act of "political responsibility and maturity" that prioritized the future over the past. 

"That act was to serve as a model for the region, as proof that dialogue and political maturity can solve even the most complex issues," he said, warning that if such efforts were not rewarded with concrete progress, it sent a discouraging message to the rest of the region.

The parliament speaker also said there was a "credibility gap" growing between an EU tired of enlargement and candidate countries tired of waiting. This was threatening to create a "permanent waiting room," he said, which was dangerous because it eroded public trust in the European project.

"Does the EU really want enlargement?" Gashi asked, calling for honesty from member states. "Because enlargement is, in essence, a contract of trust that requires responsibility and courage from both sides."

Acknowledging that the region still faces problems regarding corruption and judicial independence, Gashi stressed that reforms cannot survive without hope.

"Reforms need credibility," he said, "and credibility is built when labor and effort are rewarded."

Conference attendees include political and institutional leaders, former heads of state, senior EU representatives as well as special envoys for the Western Balkans. mr/