become politicised in what is an electoral year.
There is also a risk that this process will follow in
the footsteps of the ‘April package’ (the process of
constitutional reform that failed categorically in
similar circumstances four years ago). Spain must
take care not to repeat the same errors made back
then, including a decline in political dialogue as
a result of the electoral campaign, the danger of
imposing hurried time scales and the exclusion of
key actors from the negotiation process. It would
be difficult for the constitutional hurdle to be
resolved during the Spanish presidency (given the
progressive deterioration in the country’s political
climate), but a limited agreement could be
obtained that might serve as a basis of consensus
for future negotiations and enable the process of
reform defined by the EU to be continued. The
priority aim must be to keep Bosnia within the
European framework for reform and avoid at all
costs any deterioration in the political climate as
the electoral campaign progresses.
The challenges (and risks) with respect to Serbia
and Kosovo are also considerable, in two ways in
particular. Firstly, the International Court of
Justice will give its verdict on Kosovo’s independence during the Spanish presidency. The
result of the ruling could put Spain in a difficult
position, especially if it is not sufficiently clear.
Spain must maintain the most neutral stance
possible and seek a consensus within the EU.
Secondly, Spain must work hard to maintain a
reasonable balance in the region and ensure that
its support to Serbia regarding the debate over
Kosovo does not become detrimental to its
regional priorities and bilateral relations. In this
sense, Spain cannot lose sight of theeuropean
integration process in Albania and Macedonia,
especially given the risks posed in these two
countries in the coming months. Furthermore,
although the EU has announced that the decision
to start accession negotiations with Macedonia
will be made during the Spanish presidency,
Greece could use its veto to block the process. In
addition, the political situation in Albania, where
the opposition refuses to go to parliament in
protest against the election results, could seriously
damage the country’s possibilities of being