{"id":8797,"date":"2020-02-18T20:17:59","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T01:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/thediplomaticenvoy\/?p=8797"},"modified":"2020-02-18T20:17:59","modified_gmt":"2020-02-19T01:17:59","slug":"north-macedonia-gets-rejected-fromm-joining-the-european-union","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/thediplomaticenvoy\/2020\/02\/18\/north-macedonia-gets-rejected-fromm-joining-the-european-union\/","title":{"rendered":"North Macedonia Gets Rejected Fromm Joining the European Union"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stephanie Miller
\n<\/strong>Editor-in-Chief<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In an attempt to revive Albanian and North Macedonian European Union (EU) membership prospects, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced plans to revamp methods for evaluating potential member states\u2019 readiness, reports Bloomberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d like to find a solution unblocking the process with Albania and North Macedonia by the time of the Zagreb summit,\u201d Plenkovic told reporters. \u201cWe have a chance to strengthen our influence in Europe and we feel responsible for supporting the European path of our neighbors in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

Croatia\u2019s move for reforms to member state evaluation methods comes as the Central European country takes over as the EU\u2019s president, a rotating position that began on January 1, 2020, and will last approximately six months. It follows French President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s decision to veto Albania and North Macedonia\u2019s beginning membership talks in October 2019- talks that would have taken place during Croatia\u2019s presidency. Macron stated that the EU needed to tighten its vetting processes for states seeking accession.<\/p>\n

The continued push for Albania and North Macedonia\u2019s EU membership comes at a time of political and financial turmoil for the two Balkan states. North Macedonia is now headed to snap elections after Prime Minister Zoran Zaev\u2019s resignation over a \u201cpolitically painful\u201d battle to change the country\u2019s name and resolve a decades-old dispute with Greece, according to Bloomberg Politics<\/a>. Albanian central bank Governor Gent Sejko wrote that the euro\u2019s continual economic slowdown continued with domestic political tensions tied to Albania\u2019s EU membership snub could trigger \u201cuncertainties and potential shocks to the exchange rate,\u201d shifting it away from the equilibrium.<\/p>\n

Since submitting their applications for accession over a decade ago, both countries continue to prioritize alignment with EU standards. Because of this, European Commission President Ursula von ver Leyen insists that the \u201cdoor is open\u201d for Albania and North Macedonia to join the European Union under current rules, reports Euronews<\/a>. This statement follows former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker\u2019s statement in October, which called the bloc’s failure to agree on starting membership talks a “grave, historic error”.<\/p>\n

European Commission leaders are not the only ones voicing their dissent over the Balkan states\u2019 blocked accession. According to Radio Free Europe<\/a>, new U.S. special envoy to the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer labeled Macron\u2019s decision a “historic mistake” that sends \u201ca bad message\u201d to the region. Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker also shares Palmer\u2019s sentiments: he said the United States was “disappointed” with the decision and criticized “certain leaders” in the European Union for holding what he called a “19th-century view” of the Western Balkans.<\/p>\n

Due to years of political uncertainty and border disputes, the EU displays a Cparticular reluctance to commit its support to the Western Balkans. However, as the European Council on Foreign Relations<\/a> points out, nationalist leaders will exacerbate tensions with neighboring countries in the region should EU\u2019s support and influence wane. France\u2019s veto on North Macedonia\u2019s EU membership prospects could threaten the future of the Prespa Agreement with Greece, and the overlapping ethnic identities with the Serbian Orthodox Church continuously exacerbates tensions in Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, and throughout the Balkans.<\/p>\n

Luckily, it appears that the tide may be shifting in Albania and North Macedonia\u2019s favor. French Presidential Advisor for European Affairs Cl\u00e9ment Bonnet reportedly stated that France could still withdraw from blocking accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, according to European Western Balkans<\/a> with the Centre for Contemporary Politics in Belgrade.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that the UK has left the EU,\u201d Bonnet said, \u201cFrance wants to switch its focus towards the East. After Brexit, it is more important than ever to overcome differences within the EU and focus on what brings us together.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an attempt to revive Albanian and North Macedonian European Union (EU) membership prospects, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced plans to revamp methods for evaluating potential member states\u2019 readiness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4219,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1864,382,1862,387],"tags":[495,1882],"class_list":["post-8797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-february-2020","category-international-news","category-1862","category-europe","tag-eu","tag-north-macedonia"],"yoast_head":"\nNorth Macedonia Gets Rejected Fromm Joining the European Union - 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