Albania’s chief negotiator with the European Union, Zef Mazi, has said that member states are not enthusiastic about EU integration, hinting that France could be amongst them following yesterday’s comments from the French ambassador Tirana.
Yesterday, Ambassador Elisabeth Barsaqc said Albania and North Macedonia should not be uncoupled in the accession process. She said, “we need to overcome the idea that these two nations can be separated…we need to do our best so that the two intergovernmental conferences can be held at the same time,” she told Euronews.
Mazi responded by saying, “I can say that the ambassadors act with instructions from their centres…But I do not understand on what legal, legislative, EU directive or other basis, the position of division or non-division of countries like Albania and North Macedonia is based.”
He continued, “It is clear that in the EU, there are member states that are not enthusiastic about integration, about bringing new members into the EU. Albania has met all the requirements and criteria to start technical negotiations with the First Intergovernmental Conference. On this point, Albania, as far as I know, and I believe I am correct, has the unanimity of the 27 member states, including Bulgaria. There is no unanimity for Northern Macedonia from the 27 countries. This is a political problem.”
He also mentioned that in France’s priorities for its six-month EU Council Presidency, the topic of integrating current candidates is not mentioned. Instead, it refers to a conference on Balkan regional cooperation.
“I am not able at the moment to unravel what is meant by this…it remains unclear,” Mazi said.
He concluded that “there does not seem to be an appetite from everyone for enlargement. Some do not like the process, and their reasons are different.”
While Albania got the ok from all 27 member states, some in Brussels have speculated that this was a diplomatic move. They knew full well accession would be blocked due to Bulgaria’s veto over North Macedonia.
