Tag: france
Macedonia 24.10.19 | 11:50

Hahn: Frankly speaking after the decision of the EU Council, we are helpless

Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn again sharply criticized France’s negative stance and the European leaders’ refusal to make a decision to start accession negotiations with Macedonia and Albania, saying the consequences for both countries and the region could be disastrous. Hahn said...
Macedonia 18.10.19 | 15:16

Pendarovski calls for restraint after the failure in Brussels

President Stevo Pendarovski addressed the public today to call for unity and restrain in light of the refusal of the EU member states to approve the opening of accession talks with Macedonia. Pendarovski said that he has invited the leaders of the main political parties to attend a meeting on Sunday,...
Macedonia 17.10.19 | 18:39

French Senate ratifies Macedonia’s entry into NATO

It may be blocking our EU accession talks, but the French Senate made a step toward ratifying Macedonia’s entry into NATO. The Senate approved the ratification in its first reading, which leaves it only to be ratified in the National Assembly before France can say it accepts Macedonia as a new...
Macedonia 16.10.19 | 18:44

French sources tell MIA that other countries were also opposed to Macedonian accession talks

The Macedonian state owned news agency MIA reports that at least one other country was opposed to opening EU accession talks with Macedonia during the GAC ministerial summit in Luxembourg yesterday. MIA cites “high level French diplomatic sources” who say that France was not alone in its...
Macedonia 16.10.19 | 15:21

Politico: Macron will budge on Macedonia and Albania only if he can get something in exchange

“France was the only country opposing talks with North Macedonia,” Politico cites diplomatic sources. Another diplomat accused Paris of “acting already as if we were in a post-Brexit world where they think they can call all the shots.” According to some diplomats, France will only budge when...
Macedonia 16.10.19 | 13:52

Euractiv: France halts EU enlargement

France blocked the opening of accession talks with North Macedonia on Tuesday (15 October), despite the promise made by the EU to Skopje that its historic name deal with Greece, the Prespa agreement, would earn it a ticket to EU membership negotiations, Euractiv news agency wrote. EU ministers who met...
Macedonia 15.10.19 | 19:55

Financial Times: France is afraid of Muslim immigrants and criminals, Knaus proposes to put the candidate countries in a Balkan economic zone

Financial Times reports that the reason France is hesitant over further EU enlargement toward the Balkans is the fear of Muslim migration and Balkan criminals. France came out swinging today against giving Macedonia and France the date to open their EU accession talks, and is pushing for a re-imagining...
Macedonia 15.10.19 | 11:33

French State Secretary ahead of EU Council meeting: We will discuss two dimensions – opening negotiations and reform of negotiation process

Today I am not here to defend the position of a veto. We will discuss two dimensions – opening of accession negotiations by a prepared Europe and a reform of the negotiations process, French State Secretary for European Affairs Amelie de Montchalin said ahead of the General Affairs Council on...
Macedonia 14.10.19 | 22:46

No good news from Luxembourg: France’s position remains unchanged

No progress has been made in the EU member states’ positions on opening negotiations with Albania and Macedonia after Monday’s ambassadorial meeting in Luxembourg. France’s position remains unchanged regarding the negotiations with Tirana and Skopje. Paris considers that more time is...
Macedonia 14.10.19 | 20:53

Zaev on date for EU negotiations: France and Germany to discuss Macedonia on Wednesday

France and Germany have begun and will continue to talk, and according to my information, the governments of Germany and France will have a joint meeting, probably on Wednesday, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said, commenting on the environment ahead of the Council of Europe summit. I remain strongly...
Macedonia 11.10.19 | 16:43

Pendarovski says he doesn’t see the French threat as a veto

Asked about the French announcement it will block Macedonia from opening EU accession talks, President Stevo Pendarovski said that, in his opinion, France is not opposed to enlargement but wants fundamental reforms. My feeling and the feeling of those around me is that we are not seeing a French veto...
Macedonia 10.10.19 | 21:10

Name change in vain: France continues to block Macedonia from opening EU accession talks

Reuters reports that France remains opposed to the opening of European Union accession talks with Macedonia and Albania, and wants the decision postponed for 2020. Diplomatic sources told Reuters that the two countries are not ready even for this early step in way toward EU membership. – Paris...
Macedonia 10.10.19 | 16:40

France will push to delay EU accession talks decision with Macedonia and Albania for March 2020, RTS reports

The Serbian state television RTS reports from Brussels that France demands a delay in the opening of accession talks with Macedonia and Albania for March 2020. France is the most vocal opponent of enlargement toward the Balkans and stands in the way of the hoped for opening of accession talks this October...
Macedonia 10.10.19 | 11:01

No progress in French position on negotiations with Macedonia

Wednesday’s meeting of the ambassadors of EU member states did not bring any progress in France’s position on starting negotiations with Macedonia and Albania, French diplomatic sources told MIA. We do not expect a shift at the ministerial meeting in Luxembourg at the earliest, nothing has...
Macedonia 25.09.19 | 14:31

Racketeering scandal: French Ambassador Thimonier demands that impunity for the political elite ends

French Ambassador to Macedonia Christian Thimonier says that it is still not decided how Paris will vote on the proposal to open EU accession talks with Macedonia in October. The Ambassador warned that the rule of law issues will feature highly in the decision, after the major racketeering scandal and...
Macedonia 27.07.19 | 19:55

French Ambassador Thimonier says he is shocked by the high profile extortion scandal

French Ambassador to Macedonia Christian Thimonier expressed his shock at the major racketeering scandal, which brought down Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva and raises suspicions about involvement of top Government officials. The scandal is developing just as European Union member states are considering...
World 08.07.19 | 14:04

Hailstones the size of tennis balls hit south-central France

A huge thunderstorm has bombarded the French region of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes with hailstones the size of tennis balls, and included a record number of lightning bolts, providing for a deluge of impressive content on social media, RT reported. The meteorological calamity led to the classification by Meteo...
Macedonia 06.07.19 | 20:58

Zaev believes France and the Netherlands won’t be able to ignore his achievements in October

Following his meeting with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in Poznan, Zoran Zaev acknowledged that France and the Netherlands have what he called “an internal debate” over enlargement. Still, Zaev insists that the Macedonian dossier will be so strong that these two countries –...
Macedonia 19.06.19 | 11:23

Nikoloski: Corruption reports received in Brussels undermined the accession talks request

In a TV interview, VMRO-DPMNE deputy leader Aleksandar Nikoloski said that the stream of reports about corruption in the current Government are one of the reasons Macedonia was denied its request to open EU accession talks again. The Government is aware of this, but is hiding it from the public. A number...
Macedonia 29.05.19 | 13:37

French Ambassador to Macedonia can’t say for certain if France will veto the EU accession talks

French Ambassador to Macedonia Christian Thimonier said that he would not like to presuppose whether France will allow Macedonia to open EU accession talks. The European Commission today recommended opening of accession talks for Macedonia and Albania, and with the Greek veto in the European Council...
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