(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 08 SET - "If we do not move quickly to accelerate the enlargement process, these countries will look elsewhere; we are well aware of China's and the Russian Federation's potential influence," Franco Dal Mas, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative, said today in Trieste during the presentation of the SEE Observatory's annual Balkan integration forum. "EU enlargement to the Western Balkans," he added, "is as fundamental as Ukraine and Moldova's current position in the construction of Europe and in the European balance of power on the European continent, which, unless proven otherwise, is second to none." Multilateralism "has failed," and the balance "especially in relations between the two sides of the Atlantic has changed," so "more than ever today we need more Europe." In response to a question about the EU's ability to combat extremism, Dal Mas stated that, "aside from the proclamations of certain political forces, when it comes to governing, common sense, realism, appeasement, and détente are not just terms but concrete fields of action." Dal Mas finds the AfD's recent election results in Germany "worrying," but he clarifies that "we must not overdramatise them": the situation "is complex; clearly, in the countries of the East German bloc, nationalism is stronger, and thus so is anti-European sentiment." "These are all factors that must persuade Brussels to abandon its overly technical, purely economic approach." "If we don't adopt a political vision that goes beyond a techno-bureaucratic one, we risk regressing and fragmenting Europe," he said. (ANSA).