“It is high time to prove that it is not all just words on paper”

On Friday, 7 November 2025, MEP Irena Joveva took part in a debate on the enlargement of the European Union in the House of the European Union. At the publication of the European Commission’s annual report on the progress of candidate countries, she clearly expressed her position on the attitude of European policy towards candidate countries for membership in the European Union: “Candidate countries must do their homework and most of them are doing it – some faster, some slower, but the EU itself must do it first and foremost.” According to her, it is high time to prove that it is not all just words on paper.

In her introduction, the MEP welcomed the fact that such an extremely important topic is finally, after so many years, high on the agenda:

“It is right that candidate countries, when they make progress, start accession negotiations without any internal political or bilateral resolutions and become part of the European family.”

Regarding the situation in Serbia, she said that there has been no progress in recent years due to the regime there. As she said, the European Parliament has often saved the honor of the European Union, especially in the last year, specifically in terms of condemnation and very clear positions on the regime, but also support for European values ​​and, consequently, those who fight for these values; which are currently students or people on the streets of Serbia.

Questions were also directed at North Macedonia, with the MEP pointing out that the Macedonian state deserves a little more positive messages, because becoming a ‘hostage’ to the Bulgarian narrative is not fair in itself, but at the same time, this is clearly the only reason for its lack of progress.

She went on to support the status of candidates, including Ukraine and Moldova, especially in the context of the current geopolitical situation.

She expressed her belief that economic interests should never be a priority over people’s interests, and concluded by stating that criteria and rules exist for a reason, but in the end, regardless of this, everything stands or falls on credibility and integrity:

“Not only individuals, but also – or above all – institutions. If an institution promises the same thing over and over again and fails to deliver, then a serious problem arises and we can understand the disappointment and anger of the person on the other side. The candidates have to do their homework and most of them are doing it – some faster, some slower, but first and foremost the European Union itself has to do it.”

In addition to MEP Irena Joveva, the debate was also attended by MEPs Vladimir Prebilič (Greens/EFA), Matjaž Nemec (S&D), Matej Tonin (EPP), Marjan Šarec (Renew) and Branko Grims (EPP), Faris Kočan from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana and Adnan Ćerimagić from the European Stability Initiative.