Macedonia and the European Union

[Momce Makedonce]

Protest in Macedonia last night, only the original flag and no ventilators in sight! Perhaps banning the flag has made people love it that bit more, been seeing lots of it spray painted on walls, basketball courts e.t.c in resistance to the new measures.

https://www.facebook.com/513139259/posts/10157917937504260?sfns=mo

[Carlin]

Rama asks Pendarovski to remember who had him elected President, after he calls for the “decoupling” of Macedonia from Albania

URL:

https://english.republika.mk/news/macedonia/tirana-annoyed-as-reuters-announces-macedonia-will-decouple-its-eu-accession-talks/

15.06.2019

Reuters reports that Macedonia will receive approval to open EU accession talks later this year, while Albania will be left out. This, and a comment from Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski, sparked a bitter tweet from Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. In an interview with Euractiv Pendarovski called for “decoupling” of the EU accession talks of the two countries so that Macedonia can advance without being held back by Albania, but Rama reminded Pendarovski and his SDSM party of the support they received from Albanian voters and from Albania.

President Pendarovski implicitly favours “decoupling from Albania?” Strange to hear this, especially when one considers the key contribution of Albania and Albanians in our friendly neighbour’s state democratic developments and European path. Doesn’t sound right nor practical frankly!, Rama tweeted out.

During his visit to Brussels, Pendarovski openly called for the “decoupling” of Macedonia from Albania, adding that Albania is “in disarray”.

The biggest problem now is the decoupling with Albania. Albania is now in disarray. The opposition has walked out of institutions and it’s getting tenser. So what can we say here? We have had positive recommendations from the Commission before, and we’ve been decoupled before, Pendarovski told Euractiv.

Pendarovski won the presidential elections in May only owing to the unprecedented, near unanimous turnout in his favor by the ethnic Albanian voters. Pendarovski easily lost the Macedonian vote to the conservative candidate Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova, but made up the difference as village after village in the Albanian majority districts turned out results such as 1.500 – 10 and 2.200 to 30 in his favor.

Both countries are denied opening accession talks in June, but Macedonia is being told that it can expect to open them in September, or October, or some time later this year.

Now, the latest agreement is to reach a deal among EU governments in September, but only for North Macedonia, which is also set to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 2020. “North Macedonia has a good chance (for EU membership talks), given the historic resolution of its name issue,” one senior EU official said, referring to a decades-old dispute with Greece that blocked its path to the EU and the NATO alliance. “But Albania is still a big issue for some governments. It is not looking so promising,” the official said, Reuters reported.

According to the news agency, the opposition encountered from France and the Netherlands to opening accession talks with both Macedonia and Albania was a surprise, and was likely driven by fears of a nationalist surge during the European Parliament elections.

In one of his recent statements, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev warned that politicians in Germany fear that giving accession talks to Macedonia but not to Albania could spark a nationalist reaction in the latter. Zaev said that he is certain “his good friend” Edi Rama won’t resort to nationalism if Albania is denied the right to open accession talks.

[Niko777]

ZAEV: "Europe needs to remain more sex appeal - sexaple lady in the world to motivate us to continue in this direction."

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/H9mcfd4fPr4

[Carlin]

North Macedonia on track for EU accession talks but not Albania, diplomats say

URL:

http://www.ekathimerini.com/241607/article/ekathimerini/news/north-macedonia-on-track-for-eu-accession-talks-but-not-albania-diplomats-say

North Macedonia is likely to win European Union support to start membership talks later this year, diplomats say, but its Balkan neighbour Albania faces opposition in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Despite EU rhetoric that the bloc needs to accept new members from the Western Balkans to cement their European path and offset Chinese and Russian influence, anti-immigration sentiment has raised doubts in some northern EU states.

Backed by a number of EU governments and the European Commission, Albania and North Macedonia had hoped that the bloc's Europe ministers would give the go-ahead to membership talks at a meeting next Tuesday in Luxembourg.

That would have cleared the way for approval by EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on June 20-21.

But neither country will be given the green light then, diplomats and EU officials told Reuters, even though 13 EU countries including Italy and Poland, the European Council's President Donald Tusk and the Commission have publicly called for formal negotiations to begin.

Now, the latest agreement is to reach a deal among EU governments in September, but only for North Macedonia, which is also set to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 2020.

"North Macedonia has a good chance (for EU membership talks), given the historic resolution of its name issue," one senior EU official said, referring to a decades-old dispute with Greece that blocked its path to the EU and the NATO alliance.

The name change from Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to Republic of North Macedonia has given Skopje momentum and is likely to persuade Paris, Berlin and The Hague to back EU talks.

"But Albania is still a big issue for some governments. It is not looking so promising," the official said.

Perceived as one of Europe's most corrupt countries, according to Transparency International, Albania - which is already a NATO member - has made only limited progress in combating money laundering, EU and US officials say, despite firing corrupt judges and prosectutors.

Four other Western Balkan nations - Bosnia, Kosovo and the two frontrunners Serbia and Montenegro - are also seeking EU membership.

No entry?

In June 2018, France and the Netherlands unexpectedly blocked the start of EU talks for Albania and North Macedonia, seeking more reforms. Diplomats said the move reflected concerns about the impact on voters in EU elections in May, 2019.

With the European Parliament election out of the way, France and the Netherlands were expected to fall into line, while the EU headquarters invited Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama and North Macedonia's President Stevo Pendarovski to Brussels.

On a visit to Brussels earlier this month, Sokol Dedja, Albania's deputy Europe and foreign minister, said it was time for the bloc to stop using the need for preparatory reforms "as a way of keeping countries out of the European Union."

EU membership talks, which typically last up to a decade, are a de facto reform process to bring nations up to EU levels.

Despite victories in the EU election for the far-right in Italy, Poland and Hungary, talks of future membership for Albania and North Macedonia did not appear to play into the hands of those pledging to stop immigration.

French and Dutch far-right parties lost seats compared to their showing in 2014. However, on June 11, the Dutch parliament passed a motion opposing the opening of talks with Albania, although a similar motion for North Macedonia did not pass.

The German government wants a green light for Macedonia, but there is no agreement on Albania, which the centre-right in the coalition see as a problem state. The Bundestag lower house has agreed to postpone any decision until September.

[Reuters]

[JPMKD]

MACEDONIA
I changed my name
Wiped away our history
Gave away our sovereignty
And all i got was this lousy t shirt




I've patent it and i'm going to make lots of money.......

Love it. Those should be big in the UK and a few other EU countries.

[JPMKD]

June, July, September......
As my late mom would say, "Vetter"

[Bill77]

MACEDONIA
I changed my name
Wiped away our history
Gave away our sovereignty
And all i got was this lousy t shirt




I've patent it and i'm going to make lots of money.......

[Phoenix]

The German Bundestag will approve a start to Macedonia’s accession talks in September, Chancellor Angela Merkel has told Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, authorities in Skopje said.

The so called 'authorities' in Skopje have made many bold claims...the lemmings in Macedonia seem to have quite an appetite for such bold claims...first it was to be in June, then July and now September...after that it will be sometime in 2020, then 2021, then...you get the picture...the pattern would be obvious to a preschool kid but not to the lemming majority...

By September we could see a new greek government in power and any prospect of accession talks will be wiped off the table...even NATO membership is not certainty by that stage...although the greeks have ratified it in their parliament, it won't stop a new greek government from doing a deal with a friendly NATO member that is yet to ratify it in their parliament...

This is the unscrupulous, morally bankrupt and racist scum that Zaev and Dimitrov have handed their arses to, along with a handwritten message of appreciation for the newly acquired searing sensation and an unease in sitting down...

To think that some of Macedonia's greatest historical enemies, Greece and Bulgaria would somehow turn the other cheek and reconcile all their differences overnight and make it smooth sailing into a glorious sunset is a naivety rarely seen in politics and statesmanship anywhere in the world...

[Risto the Great]

A start to starting to talk. I love the doublespeak. Honestly, Macedonians are masters of that kind of talk. Yet they still can't call bullshit on this. Amazing.

[Carlin]

The German Bundestag will approve a start to Macedonia’s accession talks in September, Chancellor Angela Merkel has told Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, authorities in Skopje said.

[JPMKD]

That refrain of putting off accession talks will probably become a common occurrence. They Northern retards should get used to it.

You got it.
BTW anyone know a good tattoo removal artist????

I have apparently stolen a Greek symbol and may want to visit North-YoutellmeandI'llcallmyselfthatistan one day.

[Gocka]

That refrain of putting off accession talks will probably become a common occurrence. The Northern retards should get used to it.

[Pelagonija]

Dont worry we still made it in NATO.

[Niko777]

Macedonia and the European Union

Germany Deals Blow to Albania, North Macedonia EU Hopes

Sinisa Jakov MarusicSkopjeBIRNJune 7, 2019

Link: https://balkaninsight.com/2019/06/07...onia-eu-hopes/

In a setback to the EU membership aspirations of North Macedonia and Albania, the German Bundestag on Thursday failed to take any decision on supporting a start date for accession talks with either country.

The German parliament on Thursday approved the NATO accession protocol with North Macedonia – but did not discuss supporting the launch of EU accession talks either with North Macedonia or Albania.

Without such a decision from the Bundestag, the German government cannot approve the opening of accession talks with the two aspiring member countries at the European Council later this month, in June 18.

This means that the earliest possible date for this to happen would be in September, after the Bundestag returns from its summer recess.

The stalling in Berlin will add to the concerns of the governments in Skopje and Tirana, who also have to deal with the enlargement skepticism of France, The Netherlands and some other EU countries.

Both countries had been hoping for a firm date to start membership talks.

North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev earlier this week in Brussels warned that if no decision was made to start accession talks this year, it could jeopardize his pro-European government and boost the more euro-skeptic right-wing forces in the country who were ousted from power two years ago in 2017.

The EU “will either support this progressive, pro-European option, or those who have been blocking these processes and who have been tagged as radical, nationalist or pro-Russian. The disappointment among our citizens if the EC fails to grant a positive opinion will give hope to the latter forces,” Zaev said.

The European Commission in May recommended the EU to open membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania – but the left a decision on the actual date to the European Council in June.

Its report praised Zaev’s government for striking a historic deal with Greece last summer on ending the long dispute over Macedonia’s name, as well as engaging in other reforms designed to unlock the country’s stalled Euro-Atlantic bid.

“No matter what will happen, we did everything we could. I would like our [EU] partners to know that we have been waiting for 15 years [for a date] and that now, everything is possible,” Zaev said.

[Gocka]

Absolutely.

Also I call Bullshit on Bulgaria's numbers. I think they are set to lose half their population by the end of the next decade.

That was from 2015, the number is much higher now after the political crisis...