EU Launches Membership Talks With Albania, North Macedonia

MAY 31 2022·Updated JUL 19 2022

Story

Image credit: Reuters

The Facts

On Tues., the EU officially opened accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, the first step on a long road to full membership for the two nations.
Politico
This comes days after North Macedonia's parliament approved a deal resolving disputes with Bulgaria, which had blocked any breakthrough in talks since 2020, accusing Skopje of disrespecting shared cultural, linguistic, and historic ties.
ABC News
North Macedonia was granted EU candidate status in 2005, but Greece had objected to its membership over claims to the name "Macedonia," which prompted the switch to the name "North Macedonia."
MSN
Quarrels involving North Macedonia have also held up Albania's membership process, which became a candidate in 2014, as the 27-country bloc opted to treat their bids together.
Al Jazeera
Along with Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Montenegro, they're ultimately expected to successfully become EU states after passing a wide range of reforms.
Reuters
While the accession process might take years, this comes amid a broader strategy following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In June, the EU also gave candidate status to Moldova and Ukraine.
Al Jazeera

Sources Split

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The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

After changing its name to please the Greeks, North Macedonia has been forced by the EU to kowtow to shameful Bulgarian demands. Now, Skopje must choose between protecting its identity and history or giving them up to enter the European bloc.

Pro-establishment narrative

This is a historic day for Albania and North Macedonia, which have shown they deserve to be part of the bloc after working hard to create mechanisms to tackle corruption and protect civil rights. Under the rotating presidency of France, the EU has correctly acted to remove internal opposition to their accession.