Several outgoing members of the European Parliament were in Skopje over the weekend to assure Macedonian politicians that the rejection of the request to open accession talks this summer is not the end of the world

It’s not over yet. You are at one of the starts of your approximation to the EU. Soon your country will join NATO. This is an incredibly important step for all of us. The sometimes painful conditions in the Prespa treaty which the leaders of North Macedonia accepted have gained you a huge amount of respect and admiration outside of the country. September and October are very close, you’re just one summer away from the opening of accession talks, which will be an equally painful process to adapt to the EU legislation, said outgoing Slovenian member of the European Parliament Ivo Vajgl.

Another MEP who failed to secure re-election, German Knut Fleckenstein, assured the hosts that Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel will support the opening of accession talks in September, or October at the latest.