Competition and marathon. How do the people who led the EU accession talks evaluate the events of 20 years ago / Article

When Latvia gained independence, the path to the European Union and NATO became a logical next step. However, there were 10 countries on the starting line and ten hoping to enter the unified bloc.

The then extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to the EU (1998–2003) Andris Piebalgs said: “In the beginning it was a regatta. You have to overtake Estonia, Lithuania to have hope. Such a more cruel competition.

Latvia, having gathered at that time a small, young and dedicated core of diplomats, boarded flights, traveled to Brussels and talked. It was a marathon in which came the first disappointment. After several years, European leaders made a decision to start accession negotiations for membership in the European Union with a number of countries, including our Estonian neighbors, but Latvia was not among them.

Eduards Stiprais, head of the preparation group for EU accession negotiations, stated: “Yes, there was a noticeable disappointment, because if we had looked at the differences in the degree of readiness between Latvia and Estonia at that time, the gap was minimal. We understood that we cannot change this political decision, but then we have to work doubly energetic to prepare for the talks.”

A stressful year and a half passed, and the European Commission, in its annual progress report in 1999, still recommended starting negotiations with Latvia about joining the bloc.

Piebalgs stated: “We understood well enough that the main thing is agriculture and then there are structural funds. And the other things, if we can get a maximum transition period, the better for us. The strategy was quite clear, but the difficulty was that nothing is clear until everything is decided.”

It was necessary to convince not only Brussels, but also people in Latvia.

Ķesteris, the head of negotiations for Latvia’s accession to the EU, recalled: “It was difficult for people who have lived through a difficult history to understand this, so we had to be very careful in the accession negotiations and not leave the impression that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was blindly fulfilling European requirements. First of all, it was necessary to prove that the European Union would not roll over after joining little Latvia like a bulldozer, destroying its economy.”

The then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia (1999–2002) Indulis Bērziņš said: “There was a lot of work, but the basis was to prove that we, the Baltic states, which have been part of the USSR, will be able to function, we will be able to be members of the European Union.”

And in the end, grinding itself according to the requirements of the European Union, adjusting the laws, in April 2003 in Greece, Latvia, along with all the other new countries, signed the accession agreement of the European Union member states.

In the case of Latvia, this meant that one more step had to be overcome, that is, Latvian voters must finally say “Yes” or “No” to membership in the European Union in a referendum in the fall. Autumn came quickly, until then organizations and activists were mobilizing their forces to inform the population as much as possible. But until the last moment it was not clear what the result would be.

People’s opinions differed then. The results of the referendum were awaited both in city squares and in the studio of Latvian Television.

Kesteris said: “When the day of the referendum came, I was nervous and worried. On the west side, I called Mrs. Kalnietes, who was the minister of foreign affairs at the time, and she said that people go to vote and with such a serious attitude.”

When it became clear that the result was positive, the supporters rejoiced, but the opponents showed a gloomy face. In general, 66.97% had voted for joining the European Union, against 32.26%, with more than 70% of Latvia’s eligible voters participating, which was a record high turnout at that time.

Already after a year, on May 1, 2004, Latvia became a full member state of the European Union. The blue flag with yellow stars rose in Riga, and the Latvian flag in Brussels.

The then State President (1999–2007) Vaira Vīke-Freiberga now expresses: “And it is in our hands not only to make our Latvia beautiful, white, noble, which would be recognized in Europe, but also to make Europe, our common home, one that we all could be happy and proud,” she said.

20 years is a time in which a lot has happened, and it is clearly visible what could have been done better, what is still missing, say the witnesses of that time. However, it was undoubtedly the most correct decision, and it is especially visible today, in geopolitically difficult times.