As reports from Berlin poured in with disappointing news that Macedonia will not be allowed to begin European Union accession talks this June, as Zoran Zaev promised, former Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki was the first to put the resentment felt across the country into words.
Macron and Merkel told Zoran Zaev to stop lying that the EU gave him a date to open accession talks in June. Not last June, not this year either! – Milososki wrote.
Last June, Zaev’s Government celebrated even though the decision of the European Council was negative. Zaev spun the decision that the issue will be re-examined in June of 2019 as a definite EU promise that accession talks begin in June 2019. The by now infamous plane selfie by Zaev and his team was sent to hammer home the point that the accession talks are a done deal.
And yet, France, the Netherlands and Denmark openly oppose opening of accession talks this year, and during the Berlin Balkan summit French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of stabilizing, not integrating the Balkans. The Financial Times reported from the summit that “France and Germany pour cold water on Balkan hopes for immediate EU accession”.
Macedonia, under Zaev’s pressure, paid a huge price to get to Berlin, and it is unlikely it will get much in return.
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