The importance of regional EU member states in the Berlin Process: The guided integration of the Western Balkans.

The Berlin Process offers the most significant and institutionalised roadmap for the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU. The direct involvement of EU institutions and member states, especially Germany and France, in the Process has transformed it into a trustworthy path to integration. The countries of the Western Balkans are still facing many difficulties and need to undertake serious reforms, especially in the fields of the fight against corruption and enforcing the rule of law. In this regard, the involvement of Croatia, Slovenia, Czechia, Poland and Austria in the Process should act as a catalyst for reform. The aforementioned states will become an important obstacle to increased Russian interference in the region as they have a clear mandate from the main driving forces of the EU, namely Germany, France and the Brussels-based EU institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]