[ Western Balkans and EU ]

In an interview on Croatia's integration into the EU, Franz-Lothar Altmann (SWP) sees Croatia as a "victim" of the scepticism within the EU, which was created by the discussion on corruption and crime in Bulgaria and Romania and by the debate on the EU-membership of Turkey. If Croatia had been ready for EU-integration earlier (e.g. by handing over Gotovina), it might have had better chances than now... Indeed, EU-Commission President Barroso suggested recently that the EU should not accept new members after Bulgaria and Romania until an agreement on a Constitutional Treaty was reached.