Interview with Mr Holger Haibach, Director, Foundation Office Croatia and Slovenia, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, and former Member of the German Bundestag (2002-2011), we spoke about Germany’s EU Presidency, integration processes of Western Balkans, coronavirus pandemic and other security challenges.
Handling the corona pandemic, the Financial Framework for 2021-2027 and the EU Recovery Fund as well as a post-Brexit treaty are the most important issues at hand for German EU Presidency.
KAS Foundation Office Croatia and Slovenia is very active and organizes many activities and projects. KAS is also a long-term and reliable partner to RACVIAC in jointly organizing series of activities aimed toward enabling open and comprehensive discussions on emerging security challenges for Europe and South East European countries, in particular since 2014.Can you shortly explain what you do and name some of the most important projects?
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation has offices in 107 countries and 18 locations in Germany. In that manner we implement projects in over 200 countries. Since the Konrad Adenauer Foundation began operating in Croatia in 2001, we have focused on several areas: civil society and citizen participation in decision-making process, encouraging Croatia on its path to EU membership, joining the Schengen area and the Eurozone. Our goal was to support transformation of the economic model into a social market economy following the example of Germany and to contribute to regional security through cooperation with RACVIAC and other associations in the field of security, helping to preserve Croatia’s status as a partner and as a bridge between the European Union and the Western Balkans. We cooperate with representatives of political parties and foundations as well as with society stakeholders in Croatia and Slovenia.
The current COVID-19 has not so much affected our work itself, but it has changed the way we work. And it was also affected by the earthquake that hit Zagreb on March 22, 2020. Among the buildings that were damaged in the earthquake and declared statically unsafe is the building where the Foundation’s office was located. That is why we had to design new formats of our work, taking into account the fact that we carry out our activities not only in Croatia, but also in Slovenia. We decided to rent a TV studio and broadcast online formats such as webinars, conferences and interviews, which proved to be extremely successful. Although we can now hold “offline” meetings again, we will keep newly developed online formats as an important part of our activities.
We can highlight our latest projects in the field of security, our international conference “2020 Zagreb Security Forum” held in September in Zagreb and the “Croatian Days of Security 2020” in Opatija, which are just ahead of us.
On 1 July 2020, the Federal Republic of Germany assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). What are the main priorities of Germany’s EU Presidency?
The top priority now is overcoming the corona pandemic and finding common solutions in that area.
As coronavirus pandemic is an overwhelming topic since February this year, and taking into account that there was some criticism that EU didn’t react properly at the beginning, allow me to ask you if Germany plans to change it during its Presidency and how?
As mentioned above, Germany has completely revised the program for the Presidency. The top priority now is overcoming the corona pandemic and finding common solutions in that area. This goes for dealing with crisis right now, but also with the long term consequences: economic recovery on one hand and developing and improving crisis response mechanisms on EU level on the other.
How do you assess current EU integration processes of Western Balkans and to what extent (if) corona crisis will affect it?
In my opinion the EU has shown its commitment to the region of the Western Balkans by giving green light for opening accession negotiations with Northern Macedonia and Albania during the Croatian Presidency in the first half of this year. I do not think that the corona crisis will affect the process as such, other than in the area of travel restrictions. It may increase the need to “virtualize” parts of the negotiations. In light of the current situation this is something we will get used to in many areas.
The German Presidency explicitly states that all the countries of the Western Balkans should have a perspective to become members of the EU, given that they fulfill the criteria for accession.
How much is the EU aware of the importance if the Western Balkans integration for the overall EU security and stability? In that sense, will Germany, during its Presidency, continue what Croatia has started during its Presidency – strongly advocate for accession process of North Macedonia and Albania?
Germany has always been in favour of the integration of the Western Balkans in the European Union. The German Government has been on the forefront of the supporters when it came to open negotiations with regards to the accession of Northern Macedonia and Albania to the EU. Croatia and Germany have been working very closely to ensure that during their respective presidencies progress is being made in the field of a deeper integration of the Western Balkans in the EU. Consequently, the program of the German Presidency explicitly states that all the countries of the Western Balkans should have a perspective to become members of the EU, given that they fulfill the criteria for accession. Germany has announced that it aims at opening formal negotiations with Northern Macedonia and Albania during its Presidency.
How do you evaluate the impact of the non-EU actors on stability and security in SEE? Can the EU do more, and if yes, what can it do for stability in SEE region?
I believe that the EU should be very interested in stabilizing SEE and the Western Balkans. Not only because of the region itself, but also because it plays an important role in securing peace and stability in all of Europe. The refugee crisis of 2015 has shown that very clearly. Other actors like Russia, China, Turkey and the Gulf states have long ago recognized the importance of the region and are trying to secure their interest. The EU has, alongside and working together with the United States, every interest in ensuring that the region is stable and able to develop in a democratic and sustainable way.
The EU has yet to find a common approach, when it comes to regulating migration.
What do you think about strengthening EU defence dimension or forming of EU military force?
I believe that the EU has the obligation to develop its own defence dimension. Especially, with regards to that, Brexit has been a big loss to the EU, given that the UK, next to France, is the strongest, most developed and robust military force in Western Europe. If the EU wants to further develop its defence dimension, and as already said, it should, it will have to find a way to keep the UK on board, irrespective of Brexit. However, a stronger European effort in security and defence should always be embedded in the structures of NATO. None of the countries which are members of the EU and NATO at the same time can, will or should set up double structures, when it comes to defence. On the other hand, the countries of the Western Balkans in particular have in the past looked more up to the United States when it came to their own security, than they have to the EU. The EU will have to take over more responsibility with regards to safeguarding the security in its own neighbourhood.
What is the impact of migrations on EU, in economic, social and security context? How does the EU have to manage the migration processes in the future?
The EU has yet to find a common approach, when it comes to regulating migration. Migration is going to happen either way, be it illegal and unregulated or legal and regulated. The current situation, which is defined by ad hoc decisions to address the most urgent issues, may help for a moment, but it will not solve the matter as such. So finding a compromise that helps the border states, which are mostly affected by migration, makes sure that migration is still manageable in the economic, social and security context and gives people the chance to migrate in dignity, will be one of the key challenges for the EU in the years to come. The current EU Commission has seen the need to find solutions in that area, for instance in addressing the reasons for migration and by resolving that, safeguarding that migration does not happen unregulated in the first place.
Mr Haibach was Member of the German Bundestag from 2002 to 2011, where he was a Deputy Member of the Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid Committee, as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee. He was the chairman of the working group on Economic Cooperation and Development of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. He was also a member of the Subcommittee on Disarmament and Arms Control, and of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development.
In 2011, he gave up his mandate as Member of the German Parliament in order to become Country Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for Namibia and Angola. From 2014 -2015, he was heading the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Office in Chile. From 2015-2018 he was head of the Central Tasks and Services Department of CDU Germany. Since 2019 Mr Haibach is Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Office Croatia and Slovenia.
Recent News
