Below you will find the transcript of President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova’s address at the special panel titled “The Importance of Regional Cooperation in the Balkans for the Future Generations”, moderated by Michel Duclos from the Montaigne Institute, as part of her participation at the 8th Paris Peace Forum.
Moderator Michel Duclos: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. It is a great pleasure and honor to welcome you, Mrs. President. You were given the choice and you selected a theme which is “The Youth and the Process of Integration in the European Union”. The youth in your country and in the region of the Western Balkans. Maybe my first question will be very simple. Why did you select this item? Why is it important from your point of view?
President Siljanovska-Davkova: Probably all of you heard the question, why I chose this item. Let me explain why.
Recently I had a lecture at the Columbia University and the title of my lecture was “The Western Balkans Marathon towards Brussels or Waiting for Godot”. Why I chose this item? Because it is well known that we, in the Balkans, have always been a part of Europe, not only geographically but also historically and culturally. So, I find this division, East and West, artificial, and I think that today this is totally normal challenge for those in the EU family to accept us back to our home and that is why I name integration as reintegration or reunification. That is so normal and I find this political entrance into the EU as the crown and that is why I was not seducing my students teaching them for, I do not know maybe more than 30 years, about inspirational, sui generis political system, not state – EU, but believing in that. And what I believe in is the Copenhagen criteria and what I believe in is the rule of law instead of the rule of man.
That is why, as a former member of the Venice Commission for many years, last week, in my speech I said that we have fought against the rule of man or against Shylocks or against the Venetian merchants. And that is why today, being faced to security problems, because we are not speaking only about enlargement issue, because today the EU has to be bigger, larger, deeper and we are the first on its path because, Western Balkans is here, despite the fact that maybe somebody could explain me the meaning of this syntagma ‘Western Balkans’. I really do not know what it means because firstly, in 2000, it was defined as former Yugoslav states which were out of NATO and the EU. After that, when Slovenia entered the EU, could you imagine changing geography? Minus Slovenia plus Albania, after that minus Croatia plus Kosovo and today I do not know what it means, probably you know better than me, as an expert in geopolitics and I found it and I still find it as a periphery of the periphery of Europe. But when I say that we belong to Europe, I have in mind even the name. Europe, small Europe is from that region, from the Balkan region, and was kidnapped by Zeus, as you know, and was transformed into a bull. So, normally, I think that we have been and would like to be in the EU. And after so many years, during the communist period, being encouraged to put an end to that transition towards communism, utopian transition, I really believe that we are not entering in another transition. But my country became or was given or got the candidate status in 2005. So, the babies now are 20 years old students, my students and are still waiting answer to our basic question. We are stuck, we are in Procrustean bed, we are, I do not know what, in front of the door of the Brussels and really many politicians would like me, or will not like, very much to sound like poets saying that the EU is unfinished symphony without the Western Balkans or it is the Achilles’ heel. But I am in Paris and I do not expect at this Conference, Achilles to be hit by Paris like it was in mythology.
Moderator Michel Duclos: But what is the importance of the youth in that respect?
President Siljanovska-Davkova: Oh, indeed, the youth in the Western Balkans is composed or personifies not rebels without cause, without reason, but rebels with cause. Indeed, teaching them not only comparative constitutional law but also comparative political systems, even during the former Yugoslavia that subject existed at our faculties, they also recognize themselves as Europeans. Their perception is my perception – we perceive ourselves as Europeans.
And we are facing, unfortunately all these 30 years, exodus – the brightest students, the best students are leaving the Western Balkans. Maybe one-third of the population left the Western Balkans. Why? Led by motto ubi bene, ibi patria. If it is better in France, they are ready to go to France. That is one reason. But sincerely, when we entered the transition and democratic consolidation, we forgot what Dahrendorf once warned of, that you could change the constitution, maybe you could also enter into liberal economy, but for functional democracy decades are needed. And we entered as lupus in fabula, unprepared. The burden was authoritarian heritage, or maybe Titoism, like Bonapartism, for example. Then political culture, a lot of patriarchalism and parochialism. Then fragile civil society. Then partitocracy, an Italian system, a model that explains that you could not see where the party finishes and the state begins. Two powerful individuals and vulnerable or fragile institutions. So, decision making process is located in some personalities. And then the warning of Lord Acton, that each power threatens to corrupt you. Absolute power absolutely corrupts people. Then the profile of leaders, crisis of leaders. Leaders who were not devoted to Res publica, but wanted to become rich through a night. Also, in this process of separation of powers, the power was mostly located in the executive, in the government. British scientists or people say that the Prime Minister is luna inter stellas minores, that it is a moon among small stars. But, in the Balkans, sometimes they were like Amon Ra, like the sun, so powerful. Also, meritocracy was something forgotten and a spoiled system appeared.
Sometimes when I want to sound cynical, I say, what would you like? What we would like, maybe, because Americans have had one assassinated President Garfield by unsatisfied member, maybe, I do not know, who supported him. And then they adopted the Pendleton Act, saying that, yes, like you have here an excellent school. I saw in your CV that you were there. So, what we need is meritocracy instead of a spoiled system. Because then devoted soldiers to party leaders occupy the most important posts, but the best students are leaving the country. I have to say that they lost the hope that always dies last or never. Why? Waiting, waiting to start or waiting to become members of the EU. That is something discouraging for them. And, then, could you imagine, at the moment I have seen some data, 40, more than 45 percent of Macedonian young persons think that we would never become a member of the EU. 48 percent. But if you compare this to the 90s, then the percentage was higher. Why? Because of the double standards, that is, because of something that Professor Joseph Weiler, an American, you know him well, says that sometimes this enlargement process reminds him of a game between a rich and a poor brother, and the rich says, listen and do. But he thinks also, and I agree with him, that maybe we, the candidates for EU or candidates for candidates, also care about EU and maybe have some ideas and we could be heard.
Moderator Michel Duclos: And make a contribution.
President Siljanovska-Davkova: Yes.
Moderator Michel Duclos: What do you think would be needed precisely to go faster, to unblock the current impasse, at least very slow motion of this process?
President Siljanovska-Davkova: First, I very much like what Macron said before the students of Sorbonne in 2024, that the EU is not just a bureaucratic or political machinery. That the EU is philosophy. I fully agree with this, and that the EU and its work, existence, is based on values and principles. That is what sometimes is neglected. I always say please pay attention to the Agreement on the EU, to the Preamble, line 6, that says that the EU will respect national and cultural identity of the states and nations. Also, that the EU is unity that respects diversity. Then, Article 4, that says that the EU will respect constitutional structures. Also, one provision in the preamble articles says that the EU will respect dignity and integrity. Also, that the EU will encourage members of the EU to conclude or sign agreements with neighbors based on principle of reciprocity. And even devoted to principles and values in the Lisbon Agreement, there is Article 7 that says that in case of violation of basic principles and values by members of the EU, one third of the MPs in the Parliament or the Commission could arise procedure before the European Council. Why? To suspend or to limit the rights of the country that is violating the principles. We have many times been faced with violation of principles by some members of the EU. Why? Because they are threatening us with a veto “if you do not change the constitution” or “if you do not do this or that, you will not become a member of the EU”. My proposal or my recommendation is always: let’s try to be a little bit like the Scandinavians, because Sweden, Norway and Finland were so supportive for the Baltic States, and so I am really surprised. I expect to be understood by the neighbors and to be supported by the members, but it does not happen. So, I have already mentioned double standards. I think that the EU has to recall the members to the Copenhagen criteria, because I, my students, the youth need what? Rule of law, separation of powers, independent judiciary, decision-making process located within strong institutions, participative political culture, liberal economy. Those are the principles we badly need. But to use membership in the EU to revise history is both against the basic rules, basic principles and values of the EU, but also of our constitutions, and it is against the Charter of UN and also the basic documents of UN.
Moderator Michel Duclos: We still have three minutes. Is there a question in the room? Very short one, please.
Question: Good morning. First of all, I would like to thank Mrs. President for coming to Paris. My question is for both of you. Is your feeling in the country what blocked the Macedonian negotiations with the EU in 2019 because of the new enlargement process? At the time, the Republic of North Macedonia was ready to negotiate, but Bulgaria vetoed this. What guarantee can we have that an EU member state will not do the same for bilateral reasons in the future?
Moderator Michel Duclos: You have one minute for this difficult question.
President Siljanovska-Davkova: No, it is not difficult. It is inspiring. We signed a so-called Agreement on Friendship and Good Neighborly Relations with Bulgaria in 2017. And in 2019, we changed not only the Constitution, but something that has never been changed – the name. Why? Because then we signed and ratified the Prespa Agreement. And in this Agreement, there is an article that says that we can organize a referendum. Let me tell you the question on the referendum. Very interesting question: “Are you for membership in the EU and NATO by signing this Agreement?” As a law professor, my comment is that when somebody is asking me, am I for a membership, it means that those in the EU are for my membership. And now they need what? Legitimacy, deriving from the citizens. We entered NATO, but the EU is not only far away from us because it was then membership. Now, again, we have to change the Constitution, that is the demand, if we want to start negotiations. Everybody is reminding us of pacta sunt servanda that we have to respect indeed both agreements. Let me tell you something. There is Article 7 in the Prespa Agreement that says: the term Macedonia for the second party, nameless party, means territory, people, with own history, culture and language. And now we have to speak with Bulgaria about our history, culture and language. I have no answer, really. If there is pacta sunt servanda please try to check this Agreement on Good Neighborly Relations and Friendship. There is no article to change the Constitution, but now we have to change the Constitution. And imagine, this demand is included in the negotiation frame and in the conclusions for us. So, really, how to say, in dubio res.
Moderator Michel Duclos: Thank you very much, Mrs President. Unfortunately, we have to stop here, but it was a very interesting conversation.
President Siljanovska-Davkova: Thank you, I was also honored being with you.
