North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev called on Saturday for an early election, following the European Union's decision not to start membership talks with his country.

The EU failed to give North Macedonia and Albania a date to start talks on joining the bloc because France opposed it.  

Zaev is expected to meet on Sunday with his country's president Stevo Pendarovski, his coalition partners and the opposition leader to discuss his proposal and agree on an election date.

"There is no time to lose and that is why my suggestion is to organize fast early parliamentary elections. We need your [citizens'] view," Zaev said during a press conference.

The proposal is expected to be approved by parliament, as Zaev's center-left coalition has a majority and the opposition also backs an early poll.

"A great injustice was inflicted on us. The EU did not deliver on its promise," Zaev said. "We discharged all our obligations, we delivered results in our reforms, we solved the issues with our neighbors."

North Macedonia and Albania were hoping to get the green light to begin negotiations to join the European Union, but were denied on Friday. All countries except France backed opening membership talks with North Macedonia, which is judged to have met EU targets for a host of reforms and has ended disputes with its neighbors.

Why did France oppose talks?

France won't allow any new countries into the 28-nation bloc until its enlargement procedures have been improved. 

France won support from Denmark and the Netherlands in its resistance to giving Albania's bid the green light, citing a need for deep measures to tackle corruption and organised crime.

French President Emanuel Macron said it was too early to start EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, although he recognized the two countries had made significant progress with domestic reforms.

Macron argued the membership bids of the two nations could not progress until the EU changes how and when candidates are vetted on meeting accession targets, which range from economic policy to human rights and the rule of law. 

What is the European Union's position?

The European Commission, which supervises entry talks, insisted North Macedonia and Albania had met all the criteria for admittance.

Speaking during a two-day EU summit on Friday, EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker labeled the non-decision a "historic error."

"The overwhelming majority wanted to open accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania. However, such a decision requires unanimity and there was no unanimity yesterday," said EU Council President Donald Tusk, who chaired the meeting. 

Reactions from top European leaders

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday she regretted EU leaders failed to agree on launching membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.

"I believe it is in our European interest to have these countries integrated into the European Union. A glance at the map also shows that this is important. And these countries want to be members of the European Union. In this respect, we should comply with this wish if the preconditions are fulfilled," Merkel said during a media briefing in Brussels. 

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte echoed Juncker, describing the deadlock as a "historic error."

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the accession of Balkan countries was an important strategic issue, adding: "We'll see how we can revisit this debate."

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday there is still more "homework to be done" by North Macedonia and Albania before they can begin accession talks with the EU.

He was more optimistic about North Macedonia's chances, saying the country had considerably less work to do than Albania and could start accession talks as soon as March or May.

North Macedonia and Albania express their disappointment 

On Friday, North Macedonia's President Stevo Pendarovski addressed the disappointment felt by his nation after France blocked the country along with Albania from EU accession talks, adding that Skopje "must face the new reality with a clear head."

"Regardless of the conclusions of the European Union's Council, we must continue implementing the agreements we reached with our neighbors, Bulgaria and Greece," said Pendarovski. 

In order to start the accession talks, North Macedonia changed its name earlier this year from "Macedonia," removing obstacles to EU and NATO membership, following a decades-long dispute with Greece over the issue, provoking an angry reaction from nationalist forces and opposition supporters.

Greece had blocked its neighbor's NATO membership since 2008, saying use of "Macedonia" implied territorial claims on its own northern province of the same name and usurped ancient Greek heritage.

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama also voiced his disappointment on Friday.

"I have continuously asked the French president, the Dutch prime minister, and also yesterday the Danish prime minister, if they had an office in their countries that dealt with Albania all week without a break, that knew things about Albania, that followed processes in Albania non-stop and verified results in Albania like the huge European Union office that is here? They don't [have an office like this]," he said during a press conference in the country's capital, Tirana.

 

EU enlargement 

North Macedonia, Albania and four other Balkan countries – Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia – are trying to join the 28-nation political and trading group following the ethnic wars of the 1990s that led to the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

As Britain prepares to leave the EU, its 27 partners have been at pains to show their unity. However, decision-making on important issues can be held hostage by just a few member countries.

The constant expansion of the EU over the years has complicated decision-making in the world's biggest trade bloc, and "enlargement fatigue," as some have termed it, has set in.

The EU is expected to resume discussions on North Macedonia and Albania's membership talks before the Zagreb summit in May 2020, according to Tusk. 

 

Cover image: North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev says he is "disappointed and outraged" with the decision not to start EU membership talks with his country. (Credit: AP/Boris Grdanoski)