You may wonder, why is the Commissioner for EU Enlargement speaking at an EU-NATO event?
Because the geopolitical context is fundamentally different from the past.
Security is now central to everything we do, including enlargement, which has become a crucial geopolitical tool for the Union.
Today, we face challenges that the rules-based world order has not seen since the Second World War. It is clear that to defend our democracies, we Europeans must take greater responsibility for our security.
This requires immense efforts but also presents opportunities.
If done correctly, this generation will witness the unification of Europe.
Let me explain.
The motto of my mandate as Commissioner for Enlargement comes from Simone Veil. In 1979, she stated: All Member States face three great challenges: peace, freedom, and prosperity, which can only be met through the European dimension.
She described Europe as an “island of freedom surrounded by regimes in which force prevails.”
This was in 1979. She argued that to protect peace, freedom, and prosperity in Europe, we should integrate Greece, Spain, and Portugal into our Union, stabilizing them after their dictatorships.
We did that, and it worked well. After the Cold War, we again followed Veils advice by bringing the newly free countries of Central and Eastern Europe into the EU—my country, Slovenia, was among them.
These enlargements are among the greatest geopolitical successes of our Union and exemplify EU-NATO cooperation. In many cases, EU accession reforms aligned with NATO accession, both demanding democracy and rule of law.
The NATO Treaty states it is “founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law.” The EUs Article 2 reflects this, emphasizing “respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and human rights.”
Integrating young democracies into EU and NATO structures provided them with economic opportunities and security to thrive.
When I speak with colleagues from Poland or the Baltic States, like Defence Commissioner Kubilius, its clear how crucial NATO has been for them. The alliance provided the security needed to transform their nations into success stories.
This brings me to the present. Ukraine is paying a harsh price for our failure to complete the job of European integration, ignoring Veils vision.
We are suffering from leaving blind spots on our continent and not fully taking responsibility for our security, particularly in the Western Balkans.
Hard power is back in world politics, challenging our certainties.
It shows that standing up as Europeans in a fragmented world requires both soft and hard power.
As US President Theodore Roosevelt said: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
Europe has learned that lacking a strong stance invites aggression.
Yes, weakness invites aggression. In facing an expansionist Russia, strength is the best path to peace. We must continue to invest in Ukraines defense and support its EU path, empowering it against Russia.
But its not just Ukraine; we need to eliminate other blind spots and unify our continent.
A larger, unified European Union is key to European strength and security.
This is why we must finish the job of European unity under more challenging conditions than before.
Why is it more difficult? Because today, we face enemies of freedom who invest heavily to derail the process by polarizing societies and destabilizing democracies.
This is evident in candidate countries and, regrettably, within the EU as well.
Russia has created factories of lies on an unprecedented scale, amplified by cutting-edge technology.
The war of aggression against Ukraine began not with tanks but with narratives justifying aggression, polarizing societies and depicting democracies as weak, alongside hybrid attacks.
New hybrid warfare occurs in cyberspace, social media, and civilian spheres. We can only tackle these challenges together to protect democratic spaces.
EU and NATO are both defenders of democratic spaces.
Thus, we must complement each other in addressing misinformation and hybrid threats.
How do we achieve this? By supporting our partners in defending democratic institutions, securing fair elections, and resisting hybrid threats.
For example, Moldova faced the largest hybrid attack in its history last year, including vote-buying, disinformation campaigns, and cyberattacks.
Both NATO and the EU are assisting Moldova in countering these attacks.
The EU External Action Service has deployed its Hybrid Rapid Response Team for the first time, with experts in Chisinau helping Moldova combat Russian hybrid warfare, a historic occurrence.
We are also operationalizing the EU Cybersecurity Reserve, which provides response services for large-scale cybersecurity incidents. Moldova, Ukraine, and the Western Balkans can access this support.
Our toolbox is expanding, which is great! But as we share the goal of protecting democratic spaces, we must avoid duplication.
We should communicate our plans and share intelligence between our institutions.
Simultaneously, we must continue our cooperation on the EU enlargement process.
It is the strongest tool the EU has to build democratic resilience in Europe.
We are working with candidate countries to strengthen institutions, establish a robust judiciary, and create a strong social fabric where citizens can thrive.
These fundamentals are crucial.
We see substantial reform progress in candidate countries. Albania and Montenegro have recognized a window of opportunity and are advancing rapidly on their reform paths. If Montenegro maintains its current pace, we could complete negotiations by the end of 2026, and for Albania by the end of 2027. This is a technical perspective, meaning both countries could join the EU during the current Commissions mandate.
Ukraine and Moldova have met all our criteria to open the first negotiation cluster, but we cannot proceed due to the decision-making process in the Council, requiring unanimity. Now is the time to take the next step and open Cluster 1 as soon as possible.
As I mentioned earlier, in most past enlargement rounds, EU accession reforms coincided with NATO accession, both imposing similar requirements.
Today, we face a different situation; it appears easier for Western Balkan countries to join NATO, while Moldova and Ukraine find it comparatively easier to join the EU.
Despite this different context, NATO remains a vital enabler for enlargement by safeguarding existing members like Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
It is an essential partner in our support for Ukraine, as confirmed by the recent NATO Summit in The Hague.
KFOR troops are helping maintain peace and stability in Kosovo.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU Operation ALTHEA collaborates with NATO under the Berlin Plus arrangements to ensure a safe environment. This is an excellent example of cooperation that should be amplified.
I recently visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, paying my respects in Srebrenica to the victims of the genocide that occurred 30 years ago. This tragedy happened close to us. We have repeatedly said, never again, yet it happens again. This genocide stemmed from nationalist rhetoric that dehumanized an entire people.
Srebrenica serves as a reminder of what can occur if Europe fails to stabilize, combat toxic disinformation, and address security blind spots.
Honourable members,
Standing up for Europe in a fragmented world ruled by brutality can only succeed if we take full responsibility for our destiny.
That is achievable.
We can construct what President von der Leyen recently termed “a new form of Pax Europaea for the 21st century – one shaped and managed by Europe itself.”
To achieve this, we need a stronger European presence within NATO, granting us real autonomy to act whenever our core interests are at stake.
We must create a lasting home for all those who have made the free choice to join our community of values.
By completing the final step towards the unification of Europe.
For me, enlargement is much more than merely increasing the EUs territory or population.
Today, enlargement is about security. No war has occurred on EU territory; past wars happened in Europe, including in my former country, Yugoslavia. But never on EU territory.
Today, enlargement is about unifying Europe. We have never achieved this before, but if we do it right, we will succeed.