On 21 February 2013, the former president of Serbia Mr. Boris Tadic visited Clingendael to present his vision on European integration, the enlargement process and an 'ever closer Balkan'.
Former President of the Republic of Serbia Boris Tadic on regional cooperation and European integration
Tadic is optimistic on European integration, notwithstanding the doubts about the future of the EU and the several roadblocks on the path of deepened integration. He considers the EU to be more than a mechanism of economic governance or political cooperation and puts great emphasis on the idea of a community of shared values. This should be an important rationale for the accession of the Western Balkans to the EU. Tadic realizes that the EU has been caught up with internal processes for the last five years. But even though the euro crisis or strategic political choices may sometimes overshadow progress in the enlargement process, the EU should remember the promises made years ago.
Challenges in regional cooperation
During his two terms as president of Serbia, Tadic put great effort into building mutual trust and stability in the region. Reconciliation and overcoming the past experiences of the Balkans were major driving forces for closer cooperation with neighbouring countries. It was often at personal risk that Tadic addressed these complex and sensitive issues. With the insistence to use political dialogue to solve outstanding conflicts, Serbia became a leading country for regional cooperation, both in practical matters, such as infrastructure and electricity, and in major political challenges.
Two important challenges were highlighted. Tadic emphasized that further reform of the rule of law is necessary in Serbia, especially in the judiciary. During the presidency of Tadic, Serbia was criticised for dismissing over a hundred judges, which undermined the independence of the judiciary and the efforts to reform the system. Many questions were raised about the functioning of the Judicial Council and the appointment of judges. Also the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking in the region was an important aspect for Tadic to improve the rule of law. However, these efforts can only become successful with a functioning judicial apparatus.
The second challenge for the former president was the search for a solution over the status of Kosovo. During his presidency, Tadic initialled a practical dialogue with Kosovo to improve the lives of citizens directly affected by the conflict. According to Tadic, moral duty should be the driving force for reconciliation. He told the audience that in the end it doesn't matter what label we put on the solution, as long as the security of Serbian minorities remains guaranteed. This pragmatic approach is characteristic for Tadic' approach to improve regional cooperation. His successor will have to follow along roughly the same lines as regional cooperation is now a precondition for stability and economic growth.
Unfair delays in the accession process
In the opinion of Tadic, Serbia deserves to start EU accession negotiations after many delays. New, stricter conditions on rule of law reforms, good governance and public administration structures have been added to the EU catalogue of accession demands. The former president thinks that the unfair and artificial delays are jeopardizing continued progress in the reform efforts. Tadic argued that delaying the enlargement process is emblematic for the problems of the EU and the internal focus with little attention for the direct neighbourhood. Building a community of values and integrating new countries in the EU requires the development of a shared identity. In Europe, such a collective identity has not yet been defined.
Ernst Stetter, Secretary General of FEPS, and Dr. Maja Nenadovic, who joined the public debate, supported the view that Serbia is ready to take the next step in the road towards EU accession. Both acknowledged that much still needs to be done and that there should be a continued attention to the adherence to fundamental values and the rule of law. In this context Dr. Maja Nenadovic expressed a 'relative pessimism' on the situation in Serbia, comparing it to controversial developments in Hungary which indicate a clear backlash in the field of fundamental rights and freedoms. Her point proves that strict EU conditions and control mechanisms during the accession process are no guarantee for the future. Fundamental rights and rule of law standards can easily be broken after membership is obtained. However, the EU has not yet developed mechanisms to remedy these shortcomings in the member states, only candidate countries are scrutinized closely.
Although there are reasons to be sceptical about the EU enlargement process, the speakers reiterated the need to overcome the division between the European continent and the European Union. It is time that Europe lives up to its commitments to shared values of peace, democracy and unity, both inside the EU and in the direct neighbourhood. 
