The European Commission will present its new progress report on Macedonia and Albania in the first days of March. The state run MIA news agency says that the report will be published when it’s clear that all EU member states will approve the opening of accession talks, which were vetoed by France in October.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he is satisfied with the new enlargement methodology, which will allow member states to order candidates to go back to already completed chapters, and indicated he may allow the opening of accession talks, leavening this with a warning that the integration of new candidate countries will take a very very long time. But the Netherlands remain opposed to Albanian opening accession talks, while countries such as Italy and Greece demand that Macedonia remains coupled to Albania – making the prospect of accession talks still uncertain.