Podgorica, (MINA) – Narratives that portray the EU in a negative light will intensify as Montenegro moves closer to the EU, while those who are against the membership will try anything to halt the process, according to the press release from the Atlantic Alliance.
This was a conclusion of the panel discussion “Competing Narratives: Identity, Influence and the Western Balkans’s Euro-Atlantic Journey” held during the 2BS Forum in Budva.
German Ambassador to Montenegro, Peter Felten, stated that certain narratives have the potential to influence public opinion in the region, while others do not have a limited effect.
Felten emphasized that the narrative that the EU is in crisis is particularly widespread, which, as he stated, is an attempt to weaken the EU both from within and from outside.
He added that such messages are not a surprise in Montenegro either, but that the EU’s image in the country and the region remains mainly positive.
Felten warned, however, about the narrative that the EU does not want to accept the Western Balkans. “These messages need to be taken seriously because they can really influence public opinion in the region”, he said.
Emanuele Giaufret, Deputy Director-General and Director for Western Europe in the European External Action Service (EEAS), pointed out that narratives questioning the European path of the Western Balkan countries are designed to sow doubt and weaken support for the EU accession process.
Speaking about external pressures, Giaufret said that Russia wants to prevent the citizens of the Balkans from joining the EU, because the region, as he noted, belongs to the European space.
Giaufret warned that, as the region gets closer to membership, intensification of campaigns aimed at slowing down or stopping the process can be expected.
Andreina Marcella, the Italian ambassador to Montenegro, said that diplomacy can do a lot to break these narratives.
However, as Marcella pointed out, the EU has become increasingly better in addressing these narratives, stating that as an Italian, she has always felt welcomed in Montenegro.
