French President Emmanuel Macron was headed for a clash with German Chancellor A...
LUXEMBOURG - French President Emmanuel Macron was headed for a clash with German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week after Paris was isolated on Tuesday in opposing starting membership talks with North Macedonia.
“I regret very much that member states could not take a decision,” the visibly upset top EU official dealing with the bloc’s neighborhood, Johannes Hahn, said. “It’s not a moment of glory for Europe.” Amelie de Montchalin, France’s European affairs minister, said there could be no way forward before a reform in how and when candidates for membership are vetted on EU targets, which range from economic policy to human rights and the rule of law.
But the French stance has raised concerns about further delays in an already protracted process that could backfire by spurring Balkan states to cultivate closer ties with Russia, Turkey or China. With more worry about Albania’s track-record on fighting corruption and a widely shared desire to award North Macedonia for settling its historic name feud with EU member Greece, the Luxembourg meeting at some point discussed going ahead with Skopje but not Tirana. Paris blocked that attempt as well.
The six Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, all of which apart from Albania emerged from the 1990s disintegration of Yugoslavia, are considered future EU members.
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