Manuel Sarrazin, the German government's special envoy for the Western Balkans, speaks in an interview with DW about the challenges of the region in the context of current developments and the European perspective of these countries.
DW: Pressure is growing on civil society and demonstrators in Serbia. A general impression among people there is that the EU and Germany are leaving the protesters and NGOs alone. Is that really the case?
Manuel Sarrazin: First and foremost, it is the Serbs who decide about the country and its future. Therefore, it is not our intention to give assessments of the protests that are taking place there. But I want to emphasize that: If the Serbian government gives us the impression that it is interested in dialogue with students and at the same time carries out inspections of civil society organizations, which are our partners, then this shows that it is not really interested in dialogue with society, with the actors from the protests. I think that we should say clearly: Serbia, as a candidate country for the EU, should not put pressure on the structures and institutions that are committed to the formation of a democratic spirit and democratic discourse in the country.
DW: What are the next steps that Germany and the EU can take?
Manuel Sarrazin: It is clear that during the accession process, the way in which the membership criteria, the so-called fundamentals, are respected is assessed. These include the rule of law as well as issues of democracy and our fundamental values. It is clear that these are closely linked to each other.
DW: Alongside Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina has also been in the news these days. This concerns the decision of the Supreme Court of Bosnia against the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, on the one hand, and the legal intervention against NGOs in Republika Srpska. What do these developments mean for the political stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Manuel Sarrazin: In my opinion, it is clear: If the law on NGOs in Republika Srpska now comes into force, then this is the de facto biggest obstacle to further steps on the path of rapprochement with the EU for the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With such laws according to the Russian model, this country cannot successfully shape its path towards the EU. Everyone in Republika Srpska should know who is causing these problems. Even laws that aim to weaken the common Bosnian state and are part of Milorad Dodik's secessionist agenda will certainly not move this country forward on the path to the European Union.
As for the process against Milorad Dodik, this is an important signal that the institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is, the courts, have made an independent decision. We must wait and see what the further legal behavior will be regarding this decision. But we also expect, of course, that the state institutions will be respected and their decisions will be accepted. The draft laws that have now been decided by the so-called Assembly of Republika Srpska have not yet entered into force. I think that these decisions should be assessed very seriously. If they enter into force, they will have truly massive consequences, which we will examine carefully. Republika Srpska must have understood this.
DW: There's no talk of a Kosovo-Serbia dialogue anymore. This is a topic that seems to have been completely pushed into the background, given the other challenges in the region. Why is so little being done in this direction, even though rapprochement between Belgrade and Pristina is one of the key factors for stability in the Western Balkans?
Manuel Sarrazin: Peter Sörensen, the new EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, will take this process forward. The first talks we have had have created a very good impression of him as a person. He will certainly set new emphases in the dialogue. At the same time, Sörensen will certainly try, through persistent professional work, to achieve rapprochement between the two countries.
In the past, Germany, and I myself, had a fundamental duty to support the work of the European institutions and the European Chief Negotiator. We will work closely together in this direction in the coming weeks and months. This also applies to the future federal government. Germany supports the European approach to dialogue and the approach of the people who interact in it.
I hope that the essential work will now begin there too. It is now important to work hard on solutions. Mr. Sörensen is the right person for this task.
DW: Alongside Serbia, Kosovo is also facing major challenges and changes. Meanwhile, the political situation is unclear. Are there any problems that you, as special envoy for the Western Balkans, could highlight?
Manuel Sarrazin: We have to wait and see what the further political developments in the Republic of Kosovo will be like. We would like the new government to be formed quickly and to be actively engaged in dialogue. We also expect this from Serbia.
But it is not us who decide how the government will be formed in the Republic of Kosovo. This is a decision that Kosovo makes.
DW: These days and weeks we are experiencing a turning point in many issues of security policy and geostrategy. Some even talk about a turning point in European-American relations with the beginning of Donald Trump's second presidential term in the US. This also has a significant impact on the Western Balkans. What role can you, but also Germany and the EU, play in bringing the Western Balkan countries closer to the EU?
Manuel Sarrazin: First of all, we must seriously assess that the US is apparently withdrawing from funding civil society organizations. These institutions, which work for society, in my opinion, are the main pillars for the transformation path of countries towards the EU. It will be difficult if this commitment is completely lost. It is perhaps also a chance for some things to be done better, for Europe to see where its structures are complicated, bureaucratic precisely in supporting transformation processes and where we can improve even more.
Secondly, what I want to emphasize is that everyone in the Western Balkans should know that they get their daily bread from trade with the EU. The recipe for success for the Western Balkans is integration into the European internal market. The rapprochement of the Western Balkan countries is in their mutual interest. I think there are good premises if everyone shares this assessment. This would help us, both Europe and the Western Balkan countries, to react appropriately to geopolitical changes in the world.
DW: After the Bundestag elections on February 23, the CDU/CSU and the SPD are holding preliminary talks to form a governing coalition. It is not excluded that the government will then also place new emphasis on the Western Balkans. As an environmental politician, you will probably not continue to exercise this task that you currently have. What is your wish for the future coalition for this position and its commitment to the Western Balkans?
Manuel Sarrazin: In addition to our support for the EU accession process in previous years, we have also promoted the Berlin Process. The current government has now decided that the host country of this year's summit will be the United Kingdom. I think that we, as a three-party coalition, after the formation of the government in 2021, showed how important continuity is. There is also a great chance now for the next government to follow in the same footsteps of the Berlin Process, taking over from us and, together with the British, setting new impulses. It is important to emphasize here that the Berlin Process consists of successful multilateral agreements of the Western Balkan countries. Of course, the aim here is also to further advance the common economic space and regional integration of the Western Balkans. The goal should be for these countries to come even closer to the EU, to prepare even further for EU membership and to achieve openness towards Europe. It will also be an important task for Great Britain to shape the diversity of the Berlin Process together with the countries of the region./ DW (A2 Televizion)
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