I will be providing a live thread on the webinar "The Zagreb Summit: a moment of decisions?", organised by @Clingendaelorg and @ThinkforEurope. Follow this thread for updates on this webinar with @s_majstorovic @MilicaDelevic and @Wouter_Zweers #zagrebsummit #enlargement

@s_majstorovic calls it "Brave, visionary and realistic" to open negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. But credibility is something more than a slogan. Credibility must be based on mutual trust, he says. #zagrebsummit #enlargement

Will enlargement take a backseat during COVID-19? It would be a sign that Europe has not learned a lot. We need an "open and deep discussion" about "what we want the EU to become". Talking about enlargement is talking about the future of the EU.

.Also @MilicaDelevic mentions that the link between EU enlargement and the future of Europe is super important. Will the current crisis lead the EU to discover the importance of its near neighborhood with regards to shorter supply chains, migrant workers, etc? #zagrebsummit

. @s_majstorovic on new methodology: Positive signs, but no guarantees. Three things are necessary for EU enlargement 1. candidates readiness. 2. EU credibility 3. Broader context in which the EU will find itself -> as British PM Macmillan said "Events, dear boy, events"

"Is revised methodology really a big change?" @MilicaDelevic "Lets not blame the old methodology for everything", but new methodology does have positive points, less time-lag. Recalls an old saying "EU is like a church, if you do well, then the benefits will come in another life"

"Politics was always part of the EU enlargement process", @s_majstorovic says. Expanding the EU area of peace, justice and stability to Central-Europe was such a political decision. Leadership, in the EU but also in the WB6, seeing the EU as an opportunity, is important.

As @MilicaDelevic says: Important to enable the Commission to be freer to describe the situation as it is, then progress becomes less disputed. If MS would then veto, it would be clearer that it is for domestic political reasons, and not about the facts of the case. #zagrebsummit

. @Wouter_Zweers asks @s_majstorovic about chances of and welcoming revised methodology.

New methodology is representative of new positive Zeitgeist in EU. Stronger emphasis on political steering and credibility in RoL might cause discontent in perceived frontrunners.

The #Zagrebsummit is being postponed to June, a digital summit. How will this affect the summit itself?
"We need to acknowledge Croatia's leadership of the Council" @EU2020HR. That this summit takes place, despite COVID-19, is a reaffirmation that the process is taken seriously.

"How can WB6 catch up if they don't receive the same funding?" @MilicaDelevic recalls Macron advocating strong economic support for WB6 in Munich to prevent external actors taking root. "Destination is membership, long process and high efforts", so rewards need to reflect that.

While destination of WB6 is the EU, not happening directly, so there is a need to make it meaningful while process is happening. @MilicaDelevic outlines 3 points: It is about the size of the pot, about closer integration with the EU, and specific challenges which WB6 faces.

But as @s_majstorovic we must not stare ourselves to death to "the size of the pot" and recognize mutual benefits as well.

#Zagrebsummit #webinar

On a positive note, @s_majstorovic mentions that the COVID pandemic brings with it the necessity for closer cooperation among the WB6, pooling and sharing capacity within public health and other capacities. This cooperation needs to be enhanced.

That was it! Thank you for following this thread on the webinar organised by @Clingendaelorg and @ThinkforEurope. Thanks to @Wouter_Zweers for hosting and to @MilicaDelevic and @s_majstorovic for their insights! Follow them for more #enlargement updates. #zagrebsummit END THREAD.