The heads of government and heads of state of the European Union have not yet reached agreement on official admission interviews with Northern Macedonia and Albania at their summit in Brussels. France is currently blocking any expansion of the EU because Paris first wants a reorganization of the current EU.
The Netherlands is opposed to admitting Albania because that country is still not doing enough against organized crime, and has not sufficiently reduced corruption within Albanian case law.
A decision on the opening of the accession negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia has been postponed to the next EU summit, but it is not inconceivable that the issue will be raised again in the margins of the summit today. The EU heads of government did not come to a conclusion after six hours of discussion.
There was great pressure on French President Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Rutte. The German Chancellor Merkel, the outgoing and upcoming President of the European Commission Juncker and Von der Leyen, EU President Tusk, the President of the European Parliament Sassoli and the Eastern European countries are all for starting the membership talks. Yet France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain did not yield
Almost all EU countries believe that the two Balkan countries should have the prospect of EU membership, but French President Emmanuel Macron does not want new candidates until the accession process is reformed. Germany, among other things, sees high risk & #8217; s in the new postponement, and states that due to earlier promises the EU loses its credibility.
Others also say that the Balkan countries must be prevented from 'drifting away from Europe'. In addition to Albania and Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo also want to join the EU; Serbia and Montenegro are already negotiating.
For Albania, & #8220; a clear no, impossible, excluded & #8221; applies, says Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Admission from Northern Macedonia is a lot better, he says, but there is also a lot of homework to be done there. A European perspective has been given to the Balkan countries in the past and there is also a & #8220; geopolitical argument & #8221 ;, said the Dutch prime minister.