The European Parliament delegation which visited Macedonia and Albania these past few days, has recommended that both countries are allowed to open EU accession talks. According to the group of members of European Parliament, led by Tunne Kelam, both countries have completed the reforms necessary to open accession talks.

Macedonia has received the recommendation to open the talks for most of the years since 2009, but it was always blocked at the level of the EU Council by Greece, because of the name issue. Under the Prespa treaty, which imposes the name North Macedonia onto Macedonia, Greece undertook to raise its veto and Macedonia expects to receive a positive recommendation to open the talks this summer.

Still, the group raised serious issues with both countries, such as the failures to upheld the rule of law, to reform the public administration and also the lack of national unity – given the tense relations between the leftist Governments and the conservative opposition parties, including in Macedonia where the opposition is facing all out persecution.