In his Guardian interview, former European Council President Donald Tusk says that it was a huge mistake that French President Emmanuel Macron vetoed Macedonia and Albania from opening EU accession talks.

I think it was just strategically and politically a huge mistake to say no … after so many efforts and sacrifices, especially in Skopje, Tusk told the Guardian, referring to the name change that was imposed on Macedonia.

Tusk endorsed the name change perpetrated by the Zoran Zaev regime, but Macron’s decision in October took out the main argument in favor of the forced renaming. In contrast Tusk praised German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who he says “championed integration with six western Balkan nations – Her unique advantage was to be always ready to think about Europe as a whole. And [to be] ready to sacrifice some internal or national interest to protect Europe as a whole”.