05.06.2026
Bulgaria’s position is clear: enlargement should be based on the principle of the merits of the countries applying for EU membership. This means deep-going reforms in the Judiciary, rule of law, human rights and the development of good neighbor relations. This is what Prime Minister Rumen Radev said before the opening of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in the town of Tivat, Montenegro. The Prime Minister was firm that the legacy of political and historical problems should not move to the European family. “We welcome the progress made by the host country, Montenegro, and highly appreciate Albania’s effort towards membership,” Rumen Radev said and expressed a wish that other countries make the same effort to achieve a comparable result.
The Prime Minister noted that Bulgaria has always been the main driving force of the process of enlargement and of the integration of the Western Balkans. This is an investment in security and contributes to the expansion of the common European space of stability and prosperity. Along with that, Prime Minister Rumen Radev emphasized the principle of own merits. “We cannot allow that the Copenhagen criteria for membership are discredited because of the complicated geopolitical situation for if we ignore these problems in some artificial away and in a hurry, they will reappear years later in the European family. We don’t want this to happen and we won’t allow it,” the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev recalled Bulgaria’s dependable experience in the integration process. “Bulgaria can help a lot; we can provide assistance to the institutions of these countries so that they may march faster along their European path. However, the process must be steady and irreversible,” Rumen Radev said further. The Prime Minister was firm that a speedier progress towards membership should not be at the cost of the membership criteria.
