At the National Assembly of Serbia on Wednesday, participants of the European Debate School exchanged their views on the subject of whether “EU should continue its enlargement policy” with most high school students agreeing to the opposition’s stance that the EU should continue the of enlargement, but in a slower pace.
European Debate School is organised by Academic Debate Network “Open Communication” in cooperation with the EU. As the Debate School came to an end, more than 20 high school students from several Serbian cities received diplomas at the National Assembly.
Previously, members of the “government” and “opposition” teams confronted their views.
The first view argued that delay regarding the enlargement process would cause an anti-European mood among candidate countries and make them seek different kind of integration, such as Russian initiative to establish Eurasian Union.
Representatives of the “government” stated that the EU facilitated democratic process in candidate countries and that slowing the pace would lead to Brussels losing its influence on candidate countries’ reform processes.
“Opposition“ stated that among EU citizens there was enlargement fatigue, while at the same time, candidate countries experience reform fatigue.
EU needs reforms as well, in order to absorb new members. If it does not resolve its own issues, EU will not be able to absorb new member states, said representatives of the “opposition”, adding that slowing the pace of enlargement process down suited Brussels as much as candidate countries.
EU should take new members in, only after it achieves internal stability, the “opposition” concluded.
Davor Glavas of the EU Info Centre said to participants of European Debate School that the debate was not only an opportunity to display rhetoric skill, but also a part of the process of understanding and being respectful of different opinions.
