Even as the EU – Balkans summit ended in dismal failure, with Macedonia and other Balkan countries seemingly stuck worse than ever, the declaration following the summit demands that the Balkan countries heap praise on the EU for its financial support.

The EU is by far the region’s closest partner, main investor and principal donor. The unprecedented scale and range of this support must be fully recognized and conveyed by the partners in their public debate and communication, the declaration demands.

Macedonia was forced to implement a long list of humiliating concessions with its national identity and to do away with its sovereignty for the promise of EU accession, that now grows more distant. Meanwhile, infrastructure funding and other sources of aid remain at a very modest level 260,000 EUR a day was a figure thrown around by the Zaev regime during its failed 2018 name change referendum campaign.