EU must start accession negotiations with Macedonia immediately

The Macedonian parliament has approved the contractually agreed name change of the country with a clear majority. The country deserves respect for this. The EU must now respond to this strong signal from Macedonia and start the accession negotiations (promised for many years) with the country.

“Unfortunately, Europe gave in to pressure from Greece for too long,” says Rainhard Kloucek, Secretary General of the Paneuropa Movement Austria, “but ultimately diplomacy and negotiation have triumphed over blockade and confrontation.”

“France and the Netherlands must now abandon their blockade of Macedonia and allow accession negotiations,” demands Stefan Haböck, International Affairs Officer of the Paneuropa Movement Austria.

Macedonia was granted candidate status in 2005; in 2018, France and the Netherlands blocked the start of negotiations. If the EU states want to be credible in their South-East European policy (“Western Balkans policy”), then the peaceful solution and the goodwill of Macedonia must be honoured. “What Europe cannot afford is a reform-oriented, but blockade-frustrated, pro-European population in the Balkans,” Kloucek and Haböck are convinced.