Bosnia and Herzegovina's EU ambassador, Obrad Kesić, warned that reallocating EU funds from struggling candidate countries to better-performing ones risks fueling anti-EU sentiment and turning accession into a competition. He argued that support, not punishment, is needed for countries undertaking reforms.
The ambassador's remarks highlight potential internal EU divisions over enlargement strategy and the risk of alienating aspiring member states, which could have significant geopolitical implications for the Western Balkans.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ambassador to the EU, Obrad Kesić, has criticized the European Commission's reported plan to reallocate funding from struggling Western Balkan candidate countries to those performing better. Kesić argued that support, not punishment, is crucial for countries undertaking reforms, likening the situation to a teacher's approach to struggling students. He warned that such a move could undermine the accession process, turn it into a competition, and fuel anti-EU sentiment, particularly ahead of upcoming October elections. Kesić acknowledged domestic challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including coalition government collapse and constitutional crises, but stressed that reallocating funds would not be an effective motivator. He noted that recent visits by European Council President António Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas indicated continued EU interest, but cautioned against sending the wrong political signal. Sarajevo hopes the reallocation of the €6 billion fund, from which Bosnia and Herzegovina stands to lose just under €1 billion, will be less severe than initially suggested, with options like redirecting unspent money towards technical assistance being considered.
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