European Commission officials said that the process of EU accession will continue as it is designed now, regardless of the call from French President Emmanuel Macron for a two-tier EU, under which Macedonia would likely end up in the external, loosely integrated group of countries.

An European Commission spokesman told the MIA news agency that President Macron still hasn’t presented his proposal in more detail to the Commission, and that the process currently remains unchanged. Macedonia is applying for full EU membership, but has been blocked for a decade and a half by vetoes from Greece, Bulgaria and, briefly, France.

Macron’s proposal seems designed to give Ukraine and other long-shot member states that have parts of their territory taken over by Russia (Georgia and Moldova) get integrated with the EU but fall short of full membership. Macron also clearly indicated that the UK would go in this group, and it is not difficult to imagine Macedonia falling in the same category.