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that the EU should go beyond the core/ periphery framing and other traditional dichotomies. “It is essential to use flex- ible and variable speed scenarios with prudence, keeping them as measures
of last resort. The EU should aim for as much unity as possible and as much flex- ibility as strictly necessary,” he said.
This was echoed by the Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU Lilyana Pavlova, who commented that: “We are not in favour of a multi- speed Europe, obviously. We have
been working so far to have unity ... minimising differences.
“Together with Romania, we say we shall not be divided into east and west, rich and poor but we shall be looking for unity. That’s why the message for our presidency is ‘United we stand strong’,”
some new ways in keeping – and they are learning – others on board as well.”
On the other hand, Angela Cristea, head of the European Commission represen- tation in Romania, sought to stress the positives from the recent State of the European Union address from Commis- sion President Jean-Claude Juncker.
“Romanians are among the most vibrant supporters of EU integration. What’s new is that in Juncker’s recent speech this was recognised publicly at the high- est level in the European Commission,” Cristea told delegates. “Juncker even pushed a little bit further, a friendly push towards Romania to be even closer to the core, if not in the core group.”
But this is going to be an uphill struggle. However keen Romania and Bulgaria
attitudes are much harder in Eastern Europe than they are in Western Europe.
Meanwhile, in addition to its political implications, the departure of the UK from the EU, will leave a multi-billion euro hole in the union’s annual budget. The only places this kind of money can be subtracted from are agricultural funding and structural and cohesion funds – the latter in particular have been highly important in boosting the poorest regions of the EU and thereby supporting convergence.
The draft multi-annual financial framework for the next few years is due to be finalised under the Bulgarian presidency of the EU. “How we can do more with less funding – this is the big question,” Pavlova put it simply.
And the loss of funding is a worry, espe- cially for the poorer member states in the southeastern corner of the EU. The latest Eurostat data show that despite convergence in recent years – and Roma- nia’s GDP growth is currently the fastest in the bloc – GDP per capital is still hov- ering at around half the EU28 average in Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania.
At the Aspen Forum, there was a generally positive sense that the EU – which looked at the start of 2017 as if it might not make it through the year – is now starting to emerge from the migration and Brexit referendum crises. Yet big decisions are coming up, and much remains cloudy about the future of the union.
Estonia’s Maasikas made a good job of summarising the situation, talking of a renewed sense of unity. “The Brexit vote made us all think about what is the glue, the mood is much better now.” However, he added, “The big debates on the future of Europe are still only starting.”
“Romanians are among the most vibrant supporters of EU integration”
Pavlova added. Not only that, but Sofia plans to focus its presidency on further integration with the aspiring member states of the Western Balkans.
The comments by the ministers appeared to clash with the vision for the future of the EU recently outlined by French President Emmanuel Macron, who envisaged France and Germany leading the overhaul of
the union. Macron has long been an advocate of a multi-speed Europe, and some of his proposals – such as that the European Commission be limited to 15 members rather than 28, or one commissioner per member state as at present – have unnerved some of the smaller and newer members.
Speaking at the Aspen Forum, Matti Maasikas, deputy minister for foreign affairs from the relatively long-estab- lished member state Estonia, acknowl- edged that while “no big decision can
be taken in the EU without the active participation of France and Germany, in the union of 28 this is no longer enough. These two major players need to learn
may be to either enter the core EU (which inevitably includes eurozone mem- bership) or to iron out the distinction between core and periphery, some of the ongoing crises besetting the bloc have the potential to grow such divisions.
The migrant crisis, for example, has increasingly pitted the old member states (in particular Germany) against the new. A September European Court of Justice ruling that Hungary and Slovakia, who challenged the measure, must abide by the refugee quotas set by the European Commission provoked Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szij- jarto to claim the country was the victim of a "rape of European law and values”. A Gallup survey shows that anti-migrant
Find more Southeast Europe content at www.bne.eu/southeast-europe
Selected headlines from past month:
· Turkey’s democracy is broken says forced out mayor
· New Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway touted as fastest option for Beijing-London link
· BALKAN BLOG: Drug trafficking scandal threatens to engulf Albanian government
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