Senada Šelo Šabić, Scientific Adviser at the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), spoke to the Federal News Agency (FENA) about the proposal for a European Confederation, its relationship to EU enlargement policy, and the prospects of the Western Balkans.
Šelo Šabić stressed that the proposal for a European Confederation should not be viewed as an alternative to the existing enlargement policy. Rather, it opens a discussion on possible models of cooperation within Europe and on ways in which European states can strengthen political ties beyond the existing institutional frameworks.
Regarding the Western Balkans, she argued that the EU’s changed priorities — currently focused primarily on its own security and resilience — should not become a reason for reform stagnation in the region. On the contrary, candidate countries should pursue reforms that make further delay of their European integration more costly for the EU than their gradual inclusion.
Commenting specifically on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šelo Šabić emphasised that its success should not be measured solely through its formal relationship with the EU, but through its capacity to become a functional, secure, united and prosperous state. The European Union, she noted, is not a “magic wand”, but a community founded on rules and values that must also be strengthened within a country’s own society.
The full interview is available at https://www.fena.ba/article/1691663/selo-sabic-evropska-konfederacija-nije-zamjena-za-prosirenje-vec-odraz-nesigurnosti-u-evropi
