Germany has appointed Manuel Sarrazin as its special envoy for the Western Balkans.
“I am especially pleased because I hold Manuel Sarrazin in high regard and know very well that he is promoting the interests of the Western Balkans with great commitment,” German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said in a press statement.
A historian by profession, Sarrazin was a member of German parliament from 2008 to 2021 with the parliamentary group Alliance 90/The Greens in the Bundestag.
The federal government’s decision to create the special post aims at working in a very targeted manner to help advance the development and reforms of the six Western Balkan countries, according to the statement. It follows similar appointments by the United States (Gabriel Escobar) and Great Britain (Stuart Peach).
Sarrazin will cooperate closely with Miroslav Lajčák, EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, and Christian Schmidt, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
The decision comes amidst concerns over effects the Russian invasion of Ukraine may have on the Western Balkans, particularly in Kosovo and BiH, two countries considered to be under the risk for destabilization by Russia’s allies, Serbia and Republika Srpska.
“The stability and European perspective of the Western Balkans is a top strategic priority especially in the current situation. A strong, stable and peaceful Western Balkan region in South-Eastern Europe will have a key impact on the future of the EU,” foreign minister Baerbock stated.
In his first comment as special envoy, Sarrazin tweeted: “The Western Balkan Six are not only geographically in the heart of Europe, they are at the heart of the European idea. I am by heart glad to serve our cooperation with the partners in and for the region as special envoy.”
Kosovo’s prime minister Albin Kurti welcomed the news of Sarrazin’s appointment: “Great news from Berlin: After the historical decision of the Bundestag last Sunday, Manuel Sarrazin is officially Germany’s Special Envoy for the WB6. I have always had meaningful discussions in our several past meetings. Looking forward to working closely with him.”
In an interview with the EWB last year, Sarrazin summarized as follows the state of European integration for the WB6:
“A declining quality of democracy, of media freedom and seeking special ties to authoritarian external actors will not help to become an EU member state, and the governments of the region know this. However, also the EU has a lot of homework to do, especially when it comes to member states’ using the enlargement process to get an advantage in bilateral conflicts with candidate countries or because they are afraid of repercussions in their national elections. We need to come back to a merit-based process when it comes to the enlargement process.”
His appointment comes at a challenging time for the region, amidst strengthened Serbia-Russia ties, a stalled dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, s, Republika Srpska’s threats to dissolve Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a delayed integration process for Albania and North Macedonia.
