EU wants accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania

A French veto six months ago caused political turmoil, especially in Skopje. The EU is now clearing the way for negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. However, many years will pass before EU membership.

Brussels (dpa) - The EU wants to start accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. The European Ministers of the 27 EU member states agreed on Tuesday in a video slot, as the German Minister of State Michael Roth confirmed on Twitter.

However, because the EU states cannot make any formal decisions in such video conferences, the capitals must now agree in writing.

In October this step failed because of the resistance of French President Emmanuel Macron, but also because of the concerns of Denmark and the Netherlands. Macron initially called for a reform of the admission process for new EU members, which the EU Commission has now submitted. A month later, the EU authority Skopje and Tirana certified further progress towards the international community.

The October veto triggered a government crisis in North Macedonia. The government of Social Democrat Zoran Zaev resigned in early January and the country has been led by a transitional government since then. Zaev had ended the long-standing dispute with the neighbor Greece over the state name Macedonia and, against the opposition of the nationalists, made it possible to rename it to North Macedonia. Athens then cleared the way for its neighbors to move closer to the EU and NATO. The recent elections were postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Minister of State Roth praised the reform efforts of both countries on Tuesday. "North Macedonia made history by overcoming a decades-long dispute over the name," said the SPD politician. An unprecedented judicial reform has been launched in Albania.

Nevertheless, the current decision still places some conditions on Tirana. Among other things, the country must complete its electoral reform before the first accession conference. In addition, Albania should step up action against corruption and organized crime. The Bundestag, among other things, had tied such conditions to its approval.

EU accession talks are already underway with the Balkans Montenegro and Serbia. The region is also geopolitically important for the EU. China and Russia are already trying to gain influence there.

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