Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer is pushing for European Union reforms as a condition for new enlargements. “I think the EU has to change if it wants to achieve anything,” the Green politician told the German Press Agency. “We face difficult debates in this regard.” Fischer expects the process to take a long time. “Nothing will happen quickly.”
Fischer specifically mentioned the problems in the agricultural sector. On Wednesday, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the EU’s ten-country expansion in 2004, his party colleague and current German chief diplomat Annalena Baerbock called for the rapid acceptance of accession candidates in the Western Balkans and warned of dangerous “gray areas”. . Like Fischer, Baerbock took part in the anniversary celebrations in Frankfurt (Oder) and Slubice on Wednesday.
“Great things have been achieved with the eastern expansion”
“We accomplished great things with the eastern expansion 20 years ago,” Fischer said. He and his then counterpart Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz inaugurated the new era of partnership with a handshake on the Oder Bridge in 2004.
Fischer also sees great advantages in light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: “Imagine: the war in Ukraine, aggressive imperial Russia – and we would not be united in the European Union on May 1, 2004.” Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta and Cyprus were no longer members of the EU.
Source: Krone
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