It very nearly didn’t come off. Ahead of this week’s European Union summit in Brussels, the European Commission recommended that the 27 member states approve the opening of formal EU membership talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The decision came with some last-minute drama on Wednesday, when the parliament of the traditionally enlargement-cautious Netherlands narrowly voted down a resolution opposing talks with the small Balkan state.
That meant that caretaker Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was able to vote in favor of the move, along with the other 26 EU leaders, on Thursday. This was a necessary hurdle to clear, since all…