THE BALKANS AT A JUNCTURE: A TESTIMONY FOR THE UNITED EUROPE

Prime Minister of Romania Nastase contends that the southeastern European countries find themselves at a historic juncture & that they need to take advantage of their general consensus on European integration. A necessary though not sufficient condition is an approach centered on reform & interregional integration. The future eastern expansion of the EU risks being seen politically as de facto, dividing the region while at the same time promoting multilateral cooperation between the different regional states. He asserts that there are three regional risks for the current prospects of integration into the European & Euro-Atlantic structures: (1) Some countries may perceive themselves as being excluded for a long time, which may lead to more fragmentation of the region. (2) For some countries, joining the EU seems to require a long time frame, discouraging their regional cooperation. (3) Different paths to EU accession may fuel a polarization between arrogance & frustration in the countries left behind. E. Sanchez