Bilcik: Enlargement top priority, Von der Leyen clearly said EU wants Serbia

“What is very clear is that enlargement is very much a priority for the EU. It’s a top political priority for the union in a way we haven’t seen in many years,” Bilcik told The Guardian.

He added that, Ursula von der Leyen’s message was clear in Belgrade that the EU wanted Serbia to join but that it must change and must deliver, in particular when it comes to foreign policy alignment.

The timing of Von der Leyen’s visit was also extremely important, said Bilcik, pointing to Serbia’s election announcement and the fact that enlargement would be a top issue on the agenda in Brussels next week. “The ball is also very much in the hands of our partners,” he said, adding that “the partners have to commit.”