Europe at Crossroads: Austria's Push for Bosnia's EU Accession Negotiations

PeopleDiplomats ♦ Published: March 19, 2024; 17:20 ♦ (Vindobona)

In a new phase of European integration and geopolitical strategy, attention is turning to the Western Balkans, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the heart of these discussions is Austria's committed plea for the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia, a move that has the potential to shape Europe's political landscape in the long term.

Austria's key issue is at the EU Summit whether Bosnian heads of state approve EU accession negotiations following EU Commission recommendations. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Julian Nitzsche [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

While the recent Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels focused on the Russian war of aggression and the precarious situation in the Middle East, the issue of EU enlargement, particularly concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina, emerged as a key topic. Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg emphasized the urgency of integrating the Western Balkans more closely into the…