LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: Region’s success in EU integration barely halfway (Beta/RTS)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said at the Bled Strategic Forum that the Balkans had made a barely halfway success in the EU integration process, but that their enthusiasm continued to be quite considerable. Dacic said that the economic and migrant crisis, Brexit and growing terrorism threats might have reduced the appeal of the EU, but a policy of laying down conditions created the impression of inequality in the eyes of candidate countries. The Serbian foreign minister said that Serbia’s EU membership remains one of the country’s top foreign policy priorities, hoping that the EU states would be strong enough to preserve the advantages of unity, despite all the challenges. “No one should forget that the enlargement policy has been one of the most successful in the history of the European project, which has inspired the transformation of a large number of states, and expanded room for freedom and prosperity. In that respect, the integration of the Western Balkans would strengthen the European idea when the member states are facing the challenges and doubts that might blur its importance,” Dacic said. The Minister said that the promise given to the states of the region by the 2003 Thessaloniki document, that they would be made full members as soon as they meet the requirements, created the hope that Brussels would recognize the efforts to build democratic societies. Dacic recalled that since the 2003 Thessaloniki Agenda only Slovenia and Croatia had joined the EU, while Serbia and Montenegro launched accession negotiations, and Macedonia, even though a candidate for years, has failed to join the EU, just like Albania. Bosnia and Herzegovina had the status of a potential candidate, Dacic specified.

Exhibition dubbed “Kosovo and Metohija – Ten Steps” opened in Paris (RTS/Novosti)

A multimedia exhibition opened last night at the Serbian Cultural Center in Paris, which draws closer to the public, in a new and modern manner, the Serbian Orthodox heritage in Kosovo and Metohija. “We brought our struggle for Kosovo and Metohija and for the truth about the fate and suffering of our nation to Paris, a city where Serbia’s fate is being decided within UNESCO. We wished to acquaint the French public and nearly 40 ambassadors, who attended the exhibition, with the key segments of our history, with the reasons over which our country considers that the UN principles should not be violated and to remind of the suffering that our church and people have encountered in Kosovo and Metohija,” said the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric. Addressing a large number of ambassadors to UNESCO in attendance, Djuric said the Serbian cultural heritage had been a target of frequent attacks over the past decades, the March 2004 pogrom being the most horrific episode. “Our Orthodox Church, the state and our friends in the international community are persevering in the defense of our monuments. UNESCO and the membership of an integral Serbia therein are the only guarantee that the heritage, which is essentially Christian, as well as universal, will be protected and preserved for generations to come,” Djuric said.

Serbian Ambassador in UNESCO Darko Tanaskovic told Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that those who would like to seize Kosovo and Metohija from us would never be able to organize this kind of exhibition since they have nothing to organize it with. “It is up to us to organize these kind of exhibitions and to present, at a high-level and in a modern way, the fact that Kosovo and Metohija is essentially our, but not because we say so, but because it is our culturally, traditionally and civilization-wise,” said Tanaskovic, adding this exhibition is doing this.

Tachi invites the Pope to Kosovo (Politika)

“Pope Francis has informed me about plans to visit Kosovo and to recognize the reality in the Balkans,” Hashim Tachi noted on his Facebook profile. This status, interpreted by Politika’s diplomatic sources as a statement that will probably not change the stand of the Holy See towards not recognizing Kosovo, was published by Tachi two days ago, following the meeting with the head of the Roman-Catholic Church. Тhis is not the first case for Pristina officials to request from the Vatican to alter its stand towards not recognizing Kosovo, and even to announce that this will occur. Pristina has been proposing to the Vatican to accept Pristina’s diplomatic representative. This has not occurred to this date, while the Apostolic Nunciature in Belgrade has been conveying that at issue are private meetings with Kosovo officials, which, thus, “do not necessarily have the nature of predicting a possible change of the present stand of the Holy See towards Kosovo”. Therefore, according to Politika’s interlocutor who insisted on anonymity, this latest statement by Tachi represents one of his standard statements, whereby one should doubt that it will lead to any substantial change in relation to Vatican’s stand towards Kosovo. “I especially doubt there will be recognition, as well as that Pope Francis will visit Kosovo, without also visiting Serbia on that occasion,” Politika’s diplomatic source says.

Pope Francis could soon visit Belgrade and Pristina (Danas)

Pope Francis should visit Belgrade and Pristina within the next year, Danas quotes unofficial Western diplomatic sources. According to the report, the sources said Pope Francis had been invited by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to pay a first official visit to Belgrade and was willing to do so, and the Serbian Orthodox Church is not against the invitation either. The Serbian government had declined to comment on this.

Military-technical cooperation between Serbia and Russia (Politika/Beta)

Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic and the Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr

Chepurin discussed different areas of cooperation in the defense sector between Serbia and Russia, agreeing that general and political relations between the two states had been developed, too, which was a boost to the defense cooperation. This way, they fully confirmed relations defined by the Declaration on Strategic Partnership. The Serbian Defense Ministry reported that the Minister and the Ambassador also talked about the upcoming joint military exercise, and the military aspects of the visit of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Serbia. They also discussed a role by the Ministry and the Serbian Army in the International Military Technical

Forum Army 2016 in Kubinka, which will step up the military and technical cooperation projects in the coming period. Djordjevic thanked Russia for the support it had offered to Serbia in preserving its territorial integrity and sovereignty in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, and also for the support to Serbia’s effort to achieve full membership of the EU as a foreign policy priority, simultaneously with excellent relations with all partners in the East and the West.

Mihajlovic: Highway to Pristina to be completed by 2020 (Tanjug)

The project documentation for the highway connecting Nis, Merdare and Pristina will be done in early 2017, with construction itself slated to be completed by 2020, Serbian Minister of Construction and Transport Zorana Mihajlovic said Tuesday. European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said the EU had earmarked 175 million euros in grants for projects in Serbia and an additional 40 million euros for Western Balkan countries. Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with Bulc, Mihajlovic said the motorway was very significant for connecting the entire region and for its development and that modernizing and electrifying the rail line between Nis and Dimitrovgrad was a priority project in railway transport. Ongoing infrastructure projects in Serbia are worth a total 5.5 billion euros, Mihajlovic added.

New round of Belgrade-Pristina technical dialogue opens (Tanjug)

A new round of the EU-facilitated technical dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina began in the European External Action Service headquarters in Brussels Wednesday. Sources close to Belgrade’s delegation told Tanjug the topic of the opening day of the three-day discussions would be the implementation of an agreement on free movement – more specifically, the issue of registration plates for vehicles from the territory of Kosovo. Thursday’s agenda should include topics such as the cadaster and recognition of education degrees, as well as the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities, which Belgrade sees as a key political issue and the core of the Brussels agreement. On Friday, the final day of the discussions, the two delegations will address delineation between the northern and southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.

REGIONAL PRESS

Ambassadors of USA, UK and France meet with Izetbegovic; Izetbegovic: It was necessary to heighten tensions in order to prevent referendum (RTRS/N1)

After a regular session of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) in B&H held on Tuesday, US Ambassador to B&H Maureen Cormack, UK Ambassador to B&H Edward Ferguson and French Ambassador to B&H Claire Bodonyi met with Chairman of B&H Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic in premises of the B&H Presidency. Reporter described this meeting as working-consultative one. Collocutors talked about the current political situation in B&H. N1 learns that during this meeting Izetbegovic reiterated that in case it is held, the referendum on the Day of the RS will undermine peace and stability in B&H. Also, aforementioned ambassadors reiterated stances adopted last week by the PIC, saying that they oppose holding of the referendum in the RS. Also, ambassadors allegedly underlined that any referendum on division of B&H is unacceptable. However, they did not have such rigid stances regarding the announced referendum on the Day of the RS. After the meeting, Izetbegovic said that some foreign diplomats underlined that there was no need to heighten tensions in B&H regarding the aforementioned referendum. On the other hand, Izetbegovic underlined that it was necessary to increase tensions in B&H in order to prevent holding of the referendum. However, Izetbegovic said he will respect any decision B&H Constitutional Court adopts on 17 September.

RS Assembly sends its response to B&H CC (RTRS)

The RS Assembly sent on Tuesday a reply to the B&H Constitutional Court (CC) regarding Chairman of B&H Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic’s demand to put the decision of the RS Assembly to call a referendum on the Day of the RS out of force. The RS Assembly requested B&H CC to reject Izetbegovic’s demand, because the aforementioned decision of the RS Assembly does not violate the B&H Constitution. Also, the RS Assembly underlined that B&H CC should put its decision, which determines unconstitutionality of the provision of the Law on RS’ Holidays on 9 January as the RS’ Day, out of force.

Referendum on the Day of the RS will be held in Srebrenica (RTRS)

Referendum on the Day of the RS will be held in Srebrenica, despite obstructions of Bosniak leadership of this municipality at helm with Head of Srebrenica Municipality Camil Durakovic. Municipal commission for implementation of the referendum in Srebrenica was formed and it started with implementation of necessary activities. President of the commission Nedo Jeftic said that locations of polling stations will be established soon. He added that there should be 16 polling stations in Srebrenica. According to preliminary assessments, around 11,000 citizens of Srebrenica have the right to participate in the referendum. Councilor in Srebrenica Assembly Momcilo Cvjetinovic underlined that in his opinion the referendum will be successful. He added that the referendum will be held in Srebrenica regardless to Durakovic’s obstructions. Also, candidate for post of Head of Srebrenica Municipality Mladen Grujicic said that Durakovic has been obstructing and violating laws of the RS for years, adding that accountability of Durakovic for these violations and obstructions should be established. Also, Speaker of Srebrenica Assembly Milos Milovanovic said that the initiative to call the referendum on secession of Srebrenica from the RS cannot be accepted and represents nothing but marketing trick of Durakovic. He underlined that no official initiative regarding this referendum was submitted with Municipal Assembly Srebrenica. Also, representatives of all Serb parties in Srebrenica called on citizens to take part in the referendum.

OHR: PIC SB Ambassadors convened on Tuesday morning; HR Inzko meets with B&H Presidency Member Covic re letter on inequality of Croats (BHT1)

The Office of the High Representative (OHR) confirmed to BHT1 that the Ambassadors of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB) held a regular session in Sarajevo on Tuesday morning. However, the OHR did not want to provide more information on topics of the meeting. The Ambassadors also refused to address the media. Earlier on Tuesday morning, High Representative Valentin Inzko met with Croat member of the B&H Presidency Dragan Covic in premises of the B&H Presidency in Sarajevo. According to the statement issued by the Office of the Croat member of the B&H Presidency, Inzko informed Covic that he forwarded his letter warning of inequality of the Croat people in B&H to the PIC. To remind, Covic’s letter to Inzko and the PIC reads that Croats have been deprived of their rights guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) over the past 20 years. Hayat reported that HR Inzko met with Covic. They discussed the position of Croats in B&H, as well as the announced referendum on the Republika Srpska (RS) Day that Covic publicly supports. Ambassadors of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) also discussed the same topics at their meeting on Tuesday, but they issued no public statements nor did they present any concrete stances. Inzko told Covic that he informed all members of the PIC about the letter and it is necessary to analyze all deviations from the rights guaranteed by the Washington Agreement and the Dayton Peace Accords.

Steven Meyer: Republika Srpska has the right to hold a referendum (Srna)

If the government of the Republika Srpska (RS) wants to hold a referendum—that is their right and any disagreement is an internal B&H issue, American expert for Balkans Steven Meyer told Srna. It is not an issue for the PIC, OHR, Russians or Americans, he added. “The most important point is not how the OHR, EU, PIC, Russians or Washington respond to the referendum. It is, rather, after more than 20 years since the Dayton Accords that many of these organizations continue to have a voice in the affairs of B&H,” Meyer said. According to him, it is sad and unfortunate that organizations such as the OHR and PIC are still able to matter at all. B&H leaders—in the Federation and the RS —need to jointly declare that the opinion of the “internationals” makes no difference and simply needs to be ignored. “The leaders—and voters—in B&H are fully capable of making their own decisions,” Meyer stated.

Bled Strategic Forum: EU must find more efficient solutions to crises, challenges (Hina)

A traditional, two-day international conference called the Bled Strategic Forum ended on Friday, with most participants agreeing that the EU must find more efficient mechanisms to respond to security challenges that threaten with disintegration processes and strengthening of populist nationalism in the member-countries as well as the rest of the world. The conference, held in the Slovenian lake resort, brought together close to 700 participants from some 50 countries. The main panel discussion held on the final day of the event was between foreign ministers from southeast European countries on the topic of whether the EU was still an attractive and stabilizing force for them, while the second topic was the political and security situation in the region.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu participated in the debate, warning that the door to the EU had to stay open. However, he also complained that some European leaders had double standards in relation to Turkey and the situation in the country after the recent failed coup. EU membership remains Turkey’s goal, but the EU must be inclusive, multicultural and multi-confessional, said Cavusoglu. He said that a possible failure of talks between the EU and Turkey on halting the migrant flow would be a failure for all. Commenting on the chaos and problems caused by the mass influx of refugees this and last year, Cavusoglu blamed for it the Brussels bureaucracy.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec said at a meeting with Cavusoglu that Ljubljana considered Turkey a key factor in preventing the repetition of last year’s refugee crisis which has brought to the EU more than a million refugees and migrants from Syria and other countries of the Middle East and northern Africa.

Djukanovic: After 18 years of coalition, DPS likely to run in the elections independently (CDM)

The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) will most likely run in the elections on 16 October independently, the party leader Milo Djukanovic said. “The decision making bodies of DPS will make a decision on running in the elections. An absolute mood of all the bodies is to run independently. I believe it is not surprising to anyone. We were in a coalition arrangement for 18 years. After that, we believe that the most responsible move is to present ourselves independently. We see that our competitors do not think so, that they are glad to gather either in natural or unnatural coalitions, thus wishing to camouflage something about themselves, particularly their lack of political power or influence. We have no problem with that”, said the prime minister answering reporters’ questions in Ulcinj. According to Djukanovic, it does not mean that DPS will isolate itself from the political scene. “Once we hear the citizens’ opinion about what we did and what we plan to do, we are very open for cooperation with all those willing to cooperate with us based on a similar program and principles,” the leader of DPS said. We have no interest to usurp even a single meter of anyone’s territory. Commenting on the fact that Kosovo postponed voting on the demarcation agreement with Montenegro, Djukanovic clearly states – our country has done all it should. “Montenegro has shown good will to solve the issue in a manner that would be in the interest of both sides. Montenegro has no interest to usurp even a single meter of anyone’s territory. It is interested only in its own territory,” Djukanovic said in Ulcinj. He said that it was an internal issue and concerns Kosovo’s internal policy. Therefore, the PM expects Kosovo authorities to quickly resolve it. “We have no claims on someone else’s territory. For our part, we are ready to accept resolving the issue through an internal political dialogue in Kosovo. If there is a need to decide about the issue by arbitration, we have no problem with that. For the time being, we have not identified any subject for arbitration during the dialogue with Kosovo,” Djukanovic added. He did not want to comment on a negative campaign against him launched by a part of the opposition.

Djukanovic: Opposition defended Milosevic and now presents itself as the bearer of progress (Pobjeda)

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said in an interview for Pobjeda daily that it is of paramount importance that the new parliament generates a convincing majority to support the European and Euro-Atlantic path of Montenegro. Speaking of political competition in the upcoming elections, Mr. Djukanovic said the same opposition leaders who defended the regime in Belgrade in the 90s are now “falsely claiming to be democrats and carriers of progress”. Opposition needs to explain how come they defended Milosevic in Belgrade, against democratic Serbia and against Montenegro, when we needed changes, said Prime Minister, adding that the only thing parts of the opposition stand for is the anti-Europe, anti-NATO and anti-Montenegro idea. Commenting the fact that the opposition claims the most important thing is to remove DPS from power and remove him, Djukanovic said his opponents often use such phrases, like they don’t care whether they gain power or revoke Montenegro’s independence – they “just” want Milo to go. But selling this story to Montenegrin people is not so easy, says Djukanovic, because people know how much DPS did for the county. “Montenegro is not the country of dumb, politically blind people. They will give their response to the opposition in the forthcoming election. The problem with the majority of opposition is that they don’t understand that old tricks, fraud and manipulation, no longer work – not even in the Balkans,” the Prime Minister said. Djukanovic added the opposition falsely believes they have mastered the momentum, because this is the time when their interests and lust for power coincide with a major power which strongly opposes the expansion of NATO. “These are all illusions. In order to win power in any country, you must first demonstrate at least fundamental loyalty to it. Willingness to think and work for its sake. But opposition leaders did not show any of this. Some of them like to insult and degrade Montenegro, desiring only to return it to the stage of primitivism, savagery and serving foreign interests. But civil Montenegro will not allow this,” Djukanovic said.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Serbia’s Budget Gap May Come in at Half of Government’s Plan (Bloomberg, by Misha Savic, 5 September 2016)

Improved tax collection may help reduce Serbia’s 2016 budget deficit to half of the government’s plan, squeezing it to less than a third of the fiscal shortfall two years ago.

With better-than-projected revenue through August, the Balkan country may finish the year with a shortfall of 2 percent of gross domestic product, not the 4 percent originally planned, the Fiscal Council, an independent three-member panel of economists, said on Monday. While that will help reduce government debt, officials must continue on their path of budget consolidation, the council said. “The expected level of 2016 deficit is sufficient to halt the rise of public debt relative to GDP, which removes the immediate danger of a public debt crisis,” the council, which is elected by parliament, said in a statement. “But we warn that Serbia is still an over-indebted country.” The assessment marks progress for the government of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who has pledged to overhaul the $37 billion economy and prepare the country to be ready to join the European Union by 2020. While pursuing a precautionary agreement with the International Monetary Fund, Vucic has pledged to trim the size of the state administration, cut public debt and close down or sell hundreds of state-owned companies that drain more than $1 billion from state coffers a year. If one-time revenue is excluded, the budget shortfall will be around 2.5 percent of GDP, compared with 3.7 percent in 2015, the council said. It added that while the current budgetary trend will arrest public debt at below 77 percent of GDP, “it would take just one external shock or recession” to push that ratio beyond 80 percent. The dinar lost 0.1 percent to 123.26 against the euro at 5:55 p.m. in Belgrade. “The sustainability of the fiscal results will mainly depend on solving the problem of public companies and completing the privatization of state enterprises,” the council said, specifically mentioning utility Elektroprivreda Srbije, gas company Srbijagas, and copper miner and smelter RTB Bor.

EU Facing Risk of Collapse (Strategic Culture Foundation, by Alex Gorka, 7 September 2016)

An EU summit without the UK prime minister on 16 September in Bratislava will kick off the discussions on the EU’s future. The summit is «informal», because the UK has not yet left the Union, but its prime minister is not invited. Slovakia, whose positions on Europe’s migration policies have diverged sharply from those of the Commission and western European powers, holds the EU’s rotating Council presidency.

The decision to meet outside Brussels is intended to send a signal that Eastern European countries will be given more of a say on issues that have traditionally been the domain of core European powers like the UK, France, Germany and Italy. The EU members are divided over how to move forward. Some countries, led by France, Germany and Italy, have pushed for greater integration among EU countries, while others — especially in Eastern Europe — said there was a need to go slow. According to Belgian Prime Minister Charles, Michel countries that want to integrate more quickly should “be able to do so without being hindered by those who choose to take a bit more time to advance.” Member states in Central and Eastern Europe are suspicious of such moves towards a “two-speed” Europe.

Brexit allows adding new issues to the agenda. Five chiefs of governments – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Beata Szydlo (Poland), Bohuslav Sobotka (the Czech Republic) and Viktor Orbán (Hungary) – concurred on the need to begin a debate on raising a common European army. The project is a clear call for Europe’s independence in the field of security which has been so far strongly rejected by the UK.

This is a major policy shift – a step to European identity and away from the dependence on the United States and US-led NATO. But the summit will not be about Brexit or the divorce talks, but rather on the need for the EU to undergo deep reform if it wants to survive at a time when nationalism prevails over common European action. The EU has never seen such hard times in its history. «The purpose, even existence, of our Union is being questioned», EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini wrote in the foreword to the EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy – the new document that saw light in late June. «The crises within and beyond our borders are affecting directly our citizens», she underscored. Indeed, the Union is facing a host of burning issues to tackle, such as: growing national debts of some member states, the terrorist threat that has not been countered effectively so far, the unprecedented inflow of migrants and the structural crisis illustrated by Brexit. «Brexit is a turning point in the history of European integration», Merkel said at a joint news conference with leaders of the Visegrad group in Warsaw. «It’s important that we come up with an appropriate response», she added. In late August, Italian PM hosted French and German leaders for trilateral talks to lay the groundwork for larger Bratislava meeting. Renzi chose the island because of its part in the foundation of the EU, the Italian government said. Imprisoned there during the Second World War, two Italian intellectuals, Ernesto Rossi and Altiero Spinelli, wrote the influential «Ventotene manifesto» calling for a federation of European states. EU states are divided on what direction the bloc should take to counter mounting Euroscepticism, of which the Brexit vote is the most dramatic example. Brussels and other capitals fear calls for similar in/out referendums could multiply, most imminently in the Netherlands. Faced with existential risks, Merkel wants to cement “a better Europe” rather than forge ahead with “more Europe.” Renzi wants Italy to have a strong voice in how the bloc’s future is shaped after Brexit and Hollande wants an EU-wide investment plan to be doubled. The three leaders also differ over how to boost the eurozone’s flagging economy, with Hollande and Renzi both broadly backing more investment and greater harmonization, but Merkel is anxious to preserve the bloc’s integrity and above all not undermine its deficit and debt rules. The Eurosceptics and «populist movements» are on the rise across Europe including Germany. The Angela Merkel’s ruling CDU party was beaten into third place by an anti-immigrant and anti-Islam party in the Mecklenburg-West Pomerania vote on September 4. The Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) Party took just under 21% of the vote behind the centre-left SPD’s 30%. The German chancellor’s CDU was backed by only 19% of voters, its worst ever result in the state. The vote was seen as a key test before German parliamentary elections in 2017. It is especially embarrassing as the state is where Merkel has her parliamentary constituency. The result had great symbolic power ahead of next year’s federal election and would add impetus to Berlin city-state’s election on September 18. It puts into doubt the nation’s role as the EU’s driving force. The news is being taken as yet another bellwether that the far-Right is once again ascendant in Europe. Hungary and Poland both have less than 0.2 per cent Muslim population, yet a recent Pew Research survey shows that the populations of these two whitest and Christian of European countries hold the most virulently anti-migrant and anti-Muslim views. Political leaders weakened at home, as Mrs. Merkel now is, are less able to take the decisions at a supra-national level (on migration, global trade and the Euro) that are necessary to create the economic growth needed to quiet the current populist upheaval. In the near future, a string of events may greatly weaken the European Union. The 2016 Basque parliamentary election will be held on September 25, 2016, to elect the 11th Basque Parliament, the regional legislature of the Spanish autonomous community of the Basque Country. The event could change the political calculus. After the election, the Basque nationalists will likely return to Madrid with requests for more money and local empowerment, adding to the strain on a constitutional model that’s struggling to handle national divisions and a separatist push in Catalonia. In October, Italians will vote on his Democratic Party’s plan to enact the most ambitious government overhaul in decades: a bid to end unstable coalition building by stripping the upper house of parliament of the ability to bring down governments. The number of senators would be cut by two-thirds. PM Renzi pledged to quit if he loses, a move that could benefit the anti-establishment Five Star Movement. In early October, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called the vote on whether the EU should be able to order Hungary to accept the settlement of migrants without parliament’s consent. The Hungarian government has opposed any EU plan to relocate asylum seekers across the EU. This might lead to an EU exit vote. A Hunxit, perhaps? Such a possibility is not excluded. Austria will re-run a presidential election run-off on October 2, giving far-right Eurosceptic candidate Norbert Hofer the chance to reverse a wafer-thin defeat. Hofer lost out to pro-European former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen. But Austria’s highest court annulled the vote and required a re-run. The win of the Freedom Party’s candidate will mark an unprecedented victory for the EU’s populist right.

The next Dutch general elections will take place no later than 15 March 2017 to determine whether far-right populist Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party will get enough votes to form a government. Mr. Wilders pledged to immediately pull the Netherlands out of the EU should he become prime minister. Scheduled for October, regional elections in the Czech Republic will become a test to Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka’s power in his own Social Democratic party. A poor result could revive the attempts inside the party to oust Sobotka and replace him with a more Eurosceptic leader. The history of EU integration has not been a bed of roses. It’s enough to remember the EU vote that resulted in the dismantling of the EU Constitution in 2005 and the problems the EU had to overcome pushing the Lisbon Treaty through. Now the whole United Europe project is on the brink of survival.

Despite all the burning issues the bloc faces, Russia tops the list of EU’s security threats! «Russia represents a key strategic challenge», states the EU Global Strategy. Moscow has nothing to do with terrorism, migrant flows, economic stagnation and national debts. It did not tell the UK to organize the Brexit referendum. Russia did not create the EU bloated bureaucracy which causes public discontent in the member states. Perhaps, under the circumstances, the EU leaders would do better to consider carefully the Union’s mistakes and failures over the recent years instead of looking for a scapegoat to distract public attention from the gist of the problem.