Slowing Down EU Enlargement to the Balkans
Slowing Down EU Enlargement to the Balkans

Author(s): Tomasz Żornaczuk
Subject(s): Governance, International relations/trade, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, Geopolitics
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: European Union; Balkans; EU accession; enlargement policy; slowing down EU enlargement; Albanian; North Macedonia;
Summary/Abstract: France has been blocking the start of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, slowing down EU enlargement. That has had direct consequences for North Macedonia, which had to call early parliamentary elections over the issue. The French proposals in a November non-paper to alter the EU accession process are not radical. However, the formulation of new conditions—in order to be credible—should go hand in hand with the fulfilment of the Union’s existing obligations towards candidate countries.

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