Between indifference and hesitation: France and EU enlargement towards the Balkans

Abstract

France’s hesitant stance on EU enlargement towards the Balkans is illustrative of a broader ambivalence among both French elites and citizens towards the European project. Despite principled support for the Balkans’ EU membership, achieving this step is no strategic priority for France. The official approach emphasizes strict conditionality and a rigorous monitoring of reform progress in aspirant countries. A hostile public opinion and superficial media coverage further strengthen the country’s reluctance to admit new, possibly unprepared candidates into the Union. Analysing the historical evolution of the French position on EU enlargement as well as its current political, institutional and societal expressions, this article construes France’s disinvestment from the Balkans’ EU perspective as the result of failed expectations and a growing disillusionment with the EU’s international role and its political future more broadly.

Keywords:

• Balkans
• Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)
• EU enlargement
• France
• foreign policy

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful for helpful comments received by Rosa Balfour, Corina Stratulat and an anonymous reviewer on previous versions of this article.

Notes

1. One example of this was the Committee’s engagement in favour of opening accession negotiations with Serbia against German hesitation in June 2013 (author interview with National Assembly, July 2014).