The MIA news agency reports that there is no support among EU countries to split Macedonia and Albania in their accession talks bid. This means that Albania will not be allowed to advance alone, ahead of Macedonia, as Bulgaria continues to veto Macedonia’s accession talks.

Ahead of the European Council, that takes place tomorrow, Bulgaria repeated its position that Macedonia does not meet the requirements to open its accession talks. All other countries, and the European Commission, see Macedonia as ready to finally begin the talks, but the fact that any single country has veto rights means that Macedonia will almost certainly be denied again tomorrow.

Bulgaria demands that the other EU countries agree that honoring the 2018 Zaev – Borisov treaty is made an integral part of the accession talks. This means that Bulgaria would be able to raise dozens of various objections, over historic narratives or national identity issues, through the course of the negotiations, with the backing of all EU member states.