{
  "id": 16049425,
  "title": "EU accession: Merz warns of power struggle over the Western Balkans",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/eu-beitritt-merz-warnt-vor-machtkampf-um-den-westbalkan",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-22T13:29:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/eu-beitritt-merz-warnt-vor-machtkampf-um-den-westbalkan/100264225.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned of a power struggle between the European Union, China, and Russia over the Western Balkans. He urged countries in the region to press on with EU accession, saying it was in their common interest to join the EU. Merz cited Russia's attack on Ukraine as a reminder of the need for stability in the region. China is offering infrastructure credits to Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, which have been waiting for EU membership for years. Merz's visit to Montenegro is part of the Berlin Process, an initiative started by Angela Merkel in 2014 to promote EU integration.",
  "summary": "The Western Balkan countries have been waiting to join the EU for many years. Russia and China are trying to use the pending situation to their advantage. The Chancellor wants to counteract this.",
  "key_points": [
    "EU warns of power struggle in Western Balkans between EU, China, Russia.",
    "Merz urges region to push for EU membership, warns against great power influence.",
    "Montenegro on track for EU accession by end of 2028, per Merz."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}