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For the EU to miss another valuable opportunity to integrate its Balkan members would not only be politically reckless, but could create a furious backlash from Bulgaria and Romania's public (Photo: johnnyalive)

Shelving Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen dream helps Russia

Last December's EU Council vote on welcoming Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania to the border-free Schengen zone was supposed to be a victorious moment for the bloc. Showing unity after a year of political and economic hardship, as well as highlighting that the bloc still had the political capacity to further integrate Balkan states into the European project.

Although Croatia brought in the new year by joining both the eurozone and Schengen zone one month after their

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The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Cameron MacBride is a junior fellow with the European Stability Initiative (ESI). His primary focus is on contemporary politics in the Western Balkans, the ongoing EU integration of the region, as well as regionalist and separatist movements.

For the EU to miss another valuable opportunity to integrate its Balkan members would not only be politically reckless, but could create a furious backlash from Bulgaria and Romania's public (Photo: johnnyalive)

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Author Bio

Cameron MacBride is a junior fellow with the European Stability Initiative (ESI). His primary focus is on contemporary politics in the Western Balkans, the ongoing EU integration of the region, as well as regionalist and separatist movements.

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