Page 32 - BNE_magazine_11_2019

32 I Southeast Europe bne November 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron (right) stood firm in his position that there must be reforms to the negotiation process and internal EU reforms before any decision is made on enlargement.
France blocks launch of EU membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia
Valentina Dimitrievska in Skopje
France buried Albania’s and North Macedonia’s hopes of securing
a date to open membership talks with the EU on October 18, as Paris is seeking more reforms before further expansion of the EU.
The launch of EU membership talks with Skopje and Tirana was delayed for the third time during the meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on October 17-19. The decision was first postponed in June 2018, then again in June 2019.
Head of the European Council Donald Tusk expressed disappointment about the negative decision following the EU leaders’ meeting, saying that the EU will revert to the issue before the Zagreb summit in May 2020.
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EU leaders spent hours working to harmonise their stances on enlargement during the latest summit, but French President Emmanuel Macron stood
firm in his position that there must
be reforms to the negotiation process and internal EU reforms before any decision is made.
Macron also wants candidate countries to meet new targets in areas such as the economy and law and order to be able to join the bloc.
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said that the negative decision is "a major historic mistake".
EU leaders were more inclined to allow North Macedonia to start EU accession
talks as it is regarded as better prepared than Albania, and after it made painful concessions by changing the country’s name and thereby solving a long- standing dispute with Greece. However, France, Germany and Italy were against treating Skopje and Tirana separately.
Albania has launched the key judicial reforms required by the EU, and the fight against drugs trafficking and crime, but the country’s institutions
are not functioning well. The main opposition Democratic Party has been boycotting the work of the parliament for months and did not participate in the June local elections.
“Overwhelming majority wanted to open accession talks with North