Image Credentials: Image Title: Albania and Montenegro Tipped as Next EU Members, Says European Council President Antonio Costa Source: (Grok, xAI) Date: May 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (Grok, xAI), and it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer with Agencies
TIRANA, May 13 — Albania and Montenegro are the frontrunners in the race for European Union membership, according to European Council President Antonio Costa, who underscored the EU’s renewed focus on the Western Balkans during a regional tour this week.
In a wide-ranging interview with Euronews, Costa stressed that the EU must not allow countries in the region to fall behind in the accession process, especially as Ukraine and Moldova have seen their own EU bids accelerate in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sped up the accession process for Ukraine and Moldova, so it is not fair to the countries of the Western Balkans to be overtaken,” Costa said. “This will push them to move faster with reforms.”
🇪🇺 🇦🇱 🇲🇪 “Albania and Montenegro can join EU even before 2030”
– European Council President Antonio Costa
Source: Euronews pic.twitter.com/phOltfTnUL
— Epirote Report 🌕 (@DataEpirote) May 12, 2025
A Strategic Pivot to the Western Balkans
Costa’s tour—covering Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and culminating in Albania—comes as Brussels confronts rising geopolitical competition in the Western Balkans, where Russian and Chinese influence continues to challenge EU cohesion and expansion.
The tour will conclude at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Tirana, where Costa is expected to meet regional leaders and reaffirm the EU’s strategic commitment to the Balkans.
Albania and Montenegro Lead the Pack
While the EU has not formally set a timeline for enlargement, Costa made clear that Albania and Montenegro are “clearly more advanced” in their reform agendas than other regional candidates.
“I do not have a fixed date. Why 2030? And why not before? Accession is a process based on merit,” he said. “If the countries carry out the reforms, they could even join before 2030.”
The EU’s 2030 enlargement goal—floated in past discussions—has increasingly been viewed as a flexible target, particularly in light of global instability and growing EU engagement with Ukraine.
Serbia’s Ambiguity Raises Eyebrows
Costa’s remarks also come amid controversy over Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, who defied an EU-wide boycott to attend Russia’s May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, standing alongside pro-Russian Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Serbia continues to refuse EU sanctions against Russia, citing historical ties dating back to Soviet involvement in World War II.
Despite these tensions, Costa sought to play down the optics.
“On May 9 in Moscow, we celebrated an event of the past. Serbia’s future lies in Europe,” he stated.
Still, Serbia’s ambiguous stance and stalled reforms remain a key concern for EU officials, who view the country as a pivotal player in Balkan stability.
A Region Losing Faith?
Despite renewed efforts, skepticism about EU accession is growing in parts of the Western Balkans. Many citizens, particularly in Serbia and Bosnia, are disillusioned by years of delays, shifting benchmarks, and what they perceive as mixed signals from Brussels.
Costa acknowledged the erosion of trust but reaffirmed the EU’s foundational mission.
“The most important thing is to understand the meaning of the European Union,” he said. “What really built the EU was the will to overcome the wounds of history.”
A Crucial Year Ahead
With the European Political Community summit set to shine a spotlight on the region, and with the EU reasserting its influence, 2025 could prove to be a turning point in the Balkans’ long wait for full European integration.
As Costa puts it: “Europe’s future cannot be complete without the Western Balkans.”
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