Angela Merkel said on Monday she wants a deal on opening EU membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia in March, citing “geopolitical” necessity.
“Anyone who looks at the map, who knows the geopolitical context, knows that it is good for everyone if the countries of the Western Balkans also become member states of the European Union one day,” the German chancellor said at a press conference in Berlin with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Merkel’s comments were a pointed message to French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been the most outspoken opponent of starting membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. Due above all to opposition from Macron, EU leaders failed in October to reach agreement on inviting the two countries to begin accession talks.
France has since outlined a reform proposal for the enlargement process, which it wants revamped before any further membership talks begin. However, nine EU countries pushed back on France’s proposal, arguing that North Macedonia and Albania should get the green light by March even if the rules are under review.
Merkel said she wants an agreement to begin talks with both countries at the next European Council summit, scheduled for March 26 and 27. “We will now work hard to achieve the desired results in March,” she said.
Advocates of starting talks with Tirana and Skopje argue the two capitals have undertaken reforms to improve democracy and the rule of law — and that rival powers such as Russia, China, Turkey and the Gulf states will increase their influence in the EU’s neighborhood if the bloc does not bring the two countries closer.
French officials have argued that the enlargement process is deeply flawed and that the EU should not contemplate adding new members until it has reformed itself. Other countries including the Netherlands and Denmark have also expressed degrees of skepticism about enlargement.
The European Commission — which has branded itself a “geopolitical Commission” — is expected to come forward with proposals for revamping the enlargement process in the coming weeks.
“Since the new Commission also wants to be a geopolitical Commission, there are even more, rather than fewer, reasons to push this process forward decisively,” Merkel declared.
She said both Albania and Norther Macedonia “have made considerable progress” with reforms. Referring to Albania, she said that “much has already been achieved, particularly with regard to judicial reform. This reform must now be continued in such a way that it can be completed.”
Speaking alongside Merkel, Albania’s Rama said that he had high expectations for the new Commission. “A clearer, geopolitical dimension … would be of great help to us and to the whole region,” he said.