Speaking with the Financial Times, Zoran Zaev and Edi Rama warned that nationalists will gain strength in the Balkans if Macedonia and Albania are not allowed to open EU accession talks. Both countries were rejected at the meeting of the EU foreign ministers, when they asked to open accession talks during the summer.

We don’t need some new radicalism, nationalism and populism in our country. It is not very important if we have a decision from European Council in June or October, but if it is October, let it finally be October because there was a lot of postponing, Zaev told the FT, while Rama warned that an infection in the Balkans could affect the entire Europe.

Albanian commentators have warned the EU that Albanian nationalism will rise if they are not allowed to open accession talks. Zaev, on the other hand, threatened to resign and allow the return of conservatives to power in Macedonia which can end the Prespa treaty with Greece.

We don’t need new bad things to happen to realize that every setback in this process fuels nationalism, fuels fantasies, fuels harmful dreams, Rama said.

The paper confirms that countries like France and the Netherlands are the main opponents of enlargement toward the Balkans.