Live. Macedonian PM says stalled EU membership bid is ‘bullying’ behaviour

Two members of the European Parliament, David McAllister (EPP, Germany) and Marc Botenga (The Left, Belgium), are now debating EU enlargement in the first edition of “The Ring”, the new Euronews show.

McAllister advocated for “gradual integration” of candidate countries: “Until now, we have thought about countries being a EU member or not being a EU member. Now we have to think out of the box.”

Botenga believes that enlargement is not a negative strategy per se, but it should be done while considering the social impact on the EU and by ensuring that rule of law is respected in the new members.

“Enlargement is no longer a merit-based process, but there is a geopolitical dimension in it,” Botenga said. He claimed that Ukraine is currently repressing trade unions and imposing martial law, conditions that are not compatible with the EU values, he said.

He also questioned the alleged interference of Russia in candidate countries, such as Moldova. “EU has also financed media and civil organisations in these countries. When we do that, is fine, but when Russia does, is it undue interference?”, he asked.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić gave a short doorstep interview to Euronews when arriving at the event. He was asked about the Commission’s Enlargement Report, criticising Serbia for polarisation in society and the spread of anti-EU narratives.

Vučić said the polarisation is evidence of democracy.

“Tell me the name of a country without deep political polarisation. I don’t know the name. If you can find it, please let me know. Is it Romania? Is it Bulgaria? Is that Germany? Is this France? Is that Great Britain? I’m not speaking only about EU. It’s happening all over the world because of social networks. That’s how it goes in today’s world. That’s gonna be the evidence of democracy, which is a key.”

He promised action on the anti-European narrative that is gaining ground in Serbia.

“Speaking about the anti-European narrative that is very much present in Serbia, I believe that as a government, as a president, we have to change our narrative. I have to be more focused on the pro-EU narrative and volume. “

“The report on Georgia is the worst enlargement report ever for any candidate country,” EU Commissioner Marta Kos said, claiming that Tbilisi’s government “is not following the interest of their own people”.

For the Commission, Georgia is now a candidate country on paper only, Kos explained.

“The only option is that the government revises many laws that are anti-European, that it stops putting journalists and political opponents in jail and oppressing representatives of civil society,” Kos said, adding that the Commission will do its best to support Georgian media and civil organisations.

Talking to Euronews EU Correspondent Sasha Vakulina, North Macedonia Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski reflected on the path of North Macedonia in joining the EU.

• Stuck in the process

Mickoski said North Macedonia’s EU bid has barely advanced in a quarter of a century: “Unfortunately, we are in the same place where we were 25 years. Due to some artificial reasons. Not because of the Copenhagen criteria, not because of fulfilling some objectives, but because of some artificial disputes. Such are our national flag, our national name, our country name, change of constitution this, change of Constitution that.”

• ‘Bullied’ by Bulgaria with ‘artificial disputes’

The Prime Minister criticised Sofia’s conditions for North Macedonia’s accession, saying they amount to political pressure and unfair treatment.

“They are in, we are out, this is a bit of bullying, okay? We would like to see ourselves at the table in Brussels and what is now the price and whether this is the last price that we should hisse.”

He warned that the current approach undermines the EU’s founding principles:

“If somebody dares to bully someone else who wants to join the club, why the other should be silent? This is not olağan… probably this will occur in the future again and again because it works.”

Mickoski called on Brussels to reflect on whether the unanimity rule and member state vetoes still align with “the principles and values” envisioned by Europe’s founders

• Lack of reciprocity with Bulgaria

He questioned why the EU expects unilateral concessions from Skopje while turning a blind eye to the situation of Macedonians in Bulgaria.

“Why we should change our constitution then? Why we are not talking about Macedonian community in Bulgaria? What about their human rights? They are not allowed to register non-governmental organisation. We’re not talking change of Bulgarian constitution. We’re talking about a sort of reciprocity.”

Mickoski argued that the imbalance undermines the EU’s own principles of fairness and equality between candidate and member states.

• ‘The future is in the EU’ despite ‘humiliations’

Despite the tensions and delays, Mickoski reaffirmed that North Macedonia joining the EU is a strategic choice:

“We do believe that our future is in the European Union. And we do believe that integration of Western Balkans in EU means added value for EU itself.”

He insisted that the country continues to share the Union’s founding ideals:

“Despite all those humiliations and disappointments and despite the current frustration which is inside of our citizens, we do share the same values.”

• Growing frustrations among the citizens

The Prime Minister said that ordinary Macedonians are growing disillusioned and confused by the lack of progress, questioning what the EU truly stands for today.

“Citizens of my country are full of frustration, are asking me, okay, Prime Minister, what is it now? If we do this, this will be the last one, or probably there will be some additional in the future?”

“Hungary has given a green light to grant Ukraine the candidate status, and to start negotiations, and now it is blocking [the further steps]. This is not fair,” Commissioner Kos said when asked how to overcome Hungary’s opposition to the opening of a cluster of negotiations with Ukraine.

“I am full of admiration for what they are delivering, while the bombs fall. But we should deliver too,” Kos said, urging the candidate countries to go on with the reforms regardless of the opposition to their membership inside the European Council.

“They do not need Orban to do the reforms,” she said.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said she is “strictly ” against a different “class of membership” to the European Union.

“I am strictly against different class of enlargement, but this is my personal opinion,” the Commissioner specified.

Calls are growing within the EU for the bloc to ıslahat itself before letting in new members with one idea circulating in Brussels for new members to submit to a probation period during which they might not have full veto rights, for instance.

Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, has just delivered a harsh critique of Serbia’s foreign policy, which is only 61% aligned with the bloc.

Kos said she can “understand” why Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić maintains close relations with Russia and China, but stressed there should be limits.

“Being supportive of a Russian regime that is killing people in Ukraine, not accepting the sanctions that the EU is having against Russia – there are things that we cannot tolerate anymore,” she said. “We all have to make geopolitical choices.”

Kos said some EU countries were “suffering” from the effort to cut off dependency on Russian fossil fuels, but they were accepting the pain to “punish” the Kremlin for launching the war of aggression against Ukraine.

She then called on Serbian politicians and government-aligned media to stop accusing the EU of being behind the student protests. “We are not,” she said. “They should stop immediately.”

The European Union wants to see a democratic Serbia in the EU and the protests in the country have shown a “democratic potential,” the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos told Euronews.

“We want to see democratic Serbia in the EU. I am happy all the protests since November last year that there is a democratic potential. People want to go on the way of democracy and we are supporting this,” Kos said.

The Commissioner said that she invited the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, who will take to the Euronews stage in the coming hour, for dinner.

“It will be an interesting exchange,” Kos said.

Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos just said that “the Commission, the European Union, has changed its attitude towards enlargement”.

“It has not been in the plan in the last years. Now, we are also gaining the support of the European Parliament and the majority of the EU citizens.”

“Today, a real possibility exists that in the next years we will have new members”, she said. “If we bring all deri countries inside, this means that Europe would be unified for the first time in history.”

EU accession without full voting rights is hardly acceptable, said Filip Ivanović.

“We’ve been on trial for the past 15 years, and we will remain on trial until we close all the negotiation chapters. Evvel we close all the chapters, as far as I’m concerned, the trial is over,” he added, referring to the idea of a “probation period” for EU candidate countries, under which they would gain accession pending final confirmation.

Ivanović reiterated that accession without full voting rights would be hardly acceptable.

“Enlargement is the best policy the EU ever had,” Filip Ivanović, Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, said.

“It will transform the EU into a geopolitical player, Montenegro wants to play a role in this.”

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić previously expressed confidence that the country, which has just over 620,000 inhabitants, will become the EU’s 28th member by 2028.

“For years we have been aligned [with EU policy], we have given our contribution to every decision of the EU,” Ivanović said at the Euronews summit.

Asked about the effect on the region if the country joins the EU, Ivanović said the “EU will confirm its credibility.” It would “prove other voices wrong”, he added.

He claims that not allowing his country inside the EU would send a bad signal to other candidate countries.

“For us, it would be a devastating situation and it would be a horrible signal to all the other countries, because they think that whatever they do is in vain,” he said.

Filip Ivanović, Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, said his country is where it is right now due to “hard work and political dedication.”

The county wants to become the 28th EU member state by 2028, and according to the European Commission report, it is on track to achieve this goal.

“The report that we just received is an additional evidence to the plan we have had as a government. We want each report better than the others. This is the best report ever,” he said at the Euronews summit.

“This is thanks to very hard work of the government and an introduction to a government conference we will have at the end of the year, as well as a blueprint to what we should be doing in the next 12 months.”

“If someone dares to bully someone else who wants to join the club, why the others should be silent?” Hristijan Mickoski said referring to the dispute with Bulgaria and the subsequent veto that Sofia’s government is threatening on North Macedonia’s steps in its path to the EU.

“If we accept this principle evvel, this principle will destroy all the values built by Schuman, De Gasperi, and Adenauer,” he added.

“Citizens of my country are asking me what is the sorun now. Why we should change our constitution again?” Hristijan Mickoski said, referring to the standstill due to Bulgaria’s requests.

The Bulgarian government insists that North Macedonia recognises the countries’ “shared history” and the Bulgarian roots of the Macedonian language, but also that it amends its Constitution to explicitly recognise the Bulgarian minority.

These demands are seen by many Macedonians as an attack on their national identity.

The enlargement of the European Union to the Western Balkans countries would mean a “reunification of Europe”, North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said, echoing a claim made by Ursula von der Leyen in her last State of the Union speech.

“I think that the future of my country is in the European Union. Despite all humiliations and disappointments, which are part of the current frustration of our citizens, we share the same values,” he said.

20 years after becoming an EU candidate, North Macedonia is still waiting for its first negotiation chapter to open.

Russian interference in Moldova has been “so brutal that most of the citizens have seen it,” Moldova President Maia Sandu told Euronews.

The European Commission acknowledged Moscow’s persistent attempts to sway Moldova off its trajectory towards the European Union in its latest report on EU enlargement.

“It is easy in Moldova to see Russia’s interference because it has been brutal and most of the citizens have seen it,” Sandu said during the Euronews summit

Russian action includes disinformation, manipulation and threatening messages to people, Sandu said.

“If you vote for the EU, then what is happening to date with Ukraine will happen to you,” the Moldovan president mentioned as an example of Russian propaganda.

She also said that Russia is trying to discredit state authorities, organise unrest and buy votes.

Moldova’s official language is Romanian, also referred to as Moldovan in the country’s constitution. Among minority groups, a significant share of the nearly three million inhabitants speak Russian.

This is among the reasons why the country is historically more sensitive than others to Russia’s influence.

However, in September’s parliamentary elections, Sandu’s pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) claimed a clear lead and a new majority, seen as pivotal for the country’s future on its path to EU membership.

The EU is also subjected to Russian interference, Sandu mentioned, but in comparison to Moldova, it is less evident to European citizens, she pointed out.

“In 2030 I see Moldova part of the EU,” Sandu said as a closing remark to her interview.

In the just-released Enlargement Package, the European Commission considers that Moldova can close the accession negotiations in 2028, provided it is able to accelerate the current pace of reforms.

Moldova joining the EU “is in the interest of the EU as well”, Maia Sandu told Euronews, “because you cannot allow that some countries are used by authoritarian regimes against the EU.”

“This is what is going to happen if there is not going to be a real perspective on the EU integration,” Sandu said when asked what she expects after the publication of the enlargement package.

“We need solutions in the next few months,” she said. The Commission expects Moldova to meet the conditions to open the remaining three clusters by the end of this year, which would pave the way for the country to be on track with its roadmap.

Speaking at Euronews’ enlargement summit, António Costa reiterated that Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan countries belong to the European Union, and the EU must not delay any further.

“Ukraine – a country at war – and Moldova, facing repeated attacks on its democracy and sovereignty, have, in the course of this year, completed the screening,” he said.

The President of the European Council clearly endorsed Montenegro, a frontrunner country to join the bloc before the end of the decade.

“I believe that Montenegro can be the ’28 at 28′” he said, adding that Montenegro made the biggest progress.

But President Costa also had a warning regarding the accession process, saying candidate countries are at a crossroads, and they need to decide now. The message was possibly aimed at those Western Balkan countries with a powerful nationalistic past, like Serbia.

“Accession partners must decide if they have the determination to move forward with their European Union transformation or if they prefer to remain trapped by painful historical legacies,” Costa warned.

The Council chief also sent out a message to member states. When it comes to enlargement, there is no time for hesitation – he argued.

“The European Union must also decide whether it can afford to lose more time, and if it is ready to evolve and adapt to the current geopolitical realities.”

He did not, however, name Hungary, which has become the biggest hurdle to Ukraine’s accession.

Costa has, over the past few months, sought to find a way around the Hungarian veto but has so far failed.

“It is not easy. But I think that the EU needs to become a little bit creative to solve this issue”, Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said when asked about the vetoes coming from a single EU country that can stop the opening of clusters of negotiations.

Reminder: Every step of the accession process needs to be unanimously backed by all member states.

Ukraine will only accept being a full member of the European Union, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Euronews.

“If we speak about EU membership, it has to be fully fledged. It seems to me that it is very important that we have on the same table equal countries,” Zelenskyy said

“It is important that they share similar values. In my opinion, you cannot be a semi or demi member of the European Union”.

Calls are growing within the EU for the bloc to ıslahat itself before letting in new members with one idea circulating in Brussels for new members to submit to a probation period during which they might not have full veto rights, for instance.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has harshly criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for blocking his country’s ambitions to join the European Union, describing his unwavering veto as “specific support” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I don’t think I have to offer anything to Viktor Orban,” he said. “I think Viktor Orban has to offer something to Ukraine, which is protecting the whole Europe from Russia.”

“During this war, we did not get any support from him. Support for our vision of life,” he added. “We wouldn’t like Viktor to support Russia because blocking Ukraine in the EU is the very specific support by Viktor to Putin. That is definitely not that good. That is my subjective opinion.”

Asked if he was ready to repair his relationship with Orban, the Ukrainian leader refused to speculate about the upcoming election in Hungary and insisted diplomacy is not about “personalities”.

“We’re at war for our survival,” he said. “We would really like the prime minister of Hungary to support us, at least not block us, if we do everything (to) open the clusters.”

“I hope that Ukraine will be in the European Union before that date”, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, asked if he sees his country inside the EU by 2030.

Ukraine’s president did not specify a timeline for joining.

“I think that it would be unfair, because we are at war now. I think that after the end of the war, Ukraine can become a fully-fledged member of the EU,” he said.

“The quicker we open all the clusters and have the fully-fledged negotiation platform, the better it is for us. It would be a supporting factor for Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Currently, no cluster of negotiations has been opened with Ukraine because of a veto by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Ukraine has said it hopes to finish negotiations by the end of 2028.

The Ukrainian leader has addressed the “negative trends” in Ukraine’s EU accession highlighted in the European Commission report, namely the changes in the anti-corruption bodies made earlier this year. The reforms triggered the first wartime protests across the country and were later reversed.

“I do not see that in the report. I know that there are certain messages but I will check the real quotes from the report,” Zelenskyy said.

“During the war, we have implemented the widest anti-corruption infrastructure in Europe. I don’t know any country that has so many authorities,” he went on. “We’re doing everything possible.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Donald Trump has expressed support for Ukraine’s ambition to join the European Union. Both men have discussed the Hungarian veto on the process, he added.

“Trump understands accession is the will of the Ukrainian people,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on US President Donald Trump to deliver long-range missiles as a deterrent against Russia, which the American has refused to do so.

“The US needs to be open to the opportunities of long-distance weapons. Even as (a) deterrent factor, we need to have them,” he said. “It will be decisive pressure on Russia.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has connected live to the summit.

He’s speaking in Ukrainian from an undisclosed location at the frontline.

Montenegro is positioning itself as the next country in line to join the European Union.

Prime Minister Milojko Spajić previously expressed confidence that the country, which has just over 620,000 inhabitants, will become the EU’s 28th member by 2028.

Spajić told Euronews earlier this year that Montenegro – a small country bordering Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia – is already functioning as if it were part of the EU.

He said Montenegro’s plan is to close all accession chapters by the end of 2026, paving the way for full EU membership by January 2028. It would come 20 years after it started its application process, in 2008.

Highlighting the nation’s economic progress, he stated: “We are very optimistic of our economic future. In the last four or five years, we have managed to double our GDP.”

This could position Montenegro as a net contributor to EU funds rather than a recipient upon joining the bloc, he suggested.

Spajić, a former finance minister, co-founded centrist, pro-EU political party Europe Now!, in 2022, with now President Jakov Milatović. In the country’s 2023 parliamentary elections, it became the largest party with 25% of the vote.

Fun fact: Montenegro – not (yet) a member of the Eurozone – unilaterally adopted the euro in 2002 as its de facto domestic currency in a bid to increase stability.

António Costa also praised the “impressive progress” made by Ukraine and Moldova on the path to the EU.

“Ukraine – a country at war – and Moldova, facing repeated attacks on its democracy and sovereignty, have, in the course of this year, completed the screening of the aquis by the Commission at record speed”, he said.

Albania applied for EU membership on 28 April 2009 and was granted candidate status in June 2014.

Here are some of the key topics that have defined the country’s path towards EU accession so far:

1. Migration. Albania’s cooperation with the EU on migration has become a central issue, particularly following its agreement with Italy to host offshore migrant centres. This move has effectively made border management and the externalisation of migration a part of its EU accession conditions.

2. Corruption and judicial reform. One of Rama’s main priorities has been to tackle corruption in the country. Last year’s European Commission enlargement report highlighted that corruption remains a serious concern. Public tenders have been at the centre of several corruption scandals in Albania in the past. Eliminating irregularities within the public administration is one of Brussels’ core demands in Albania’s EU accession process.

3. AI to help transparency. To accelerate the country’s EU accession, Rama’s government is employing AI-powered technology in an effort to align Albanian laws with EU standards more quickly and effectively. This is how Diella was created, Albania’s new AI minister. Rama argues that she could make Albania “a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption” and help accelerate its accession to the EU.

Edi Rama will join Euronews’ Sasha Vakulina at 16:53 CET.

Prime Minister since 2024, Hristijan Mickoski has consistently emphasised his commitment to North Macedonia joining the European Union, describing EU accession as his country’s primary goal.

Leader of a coalition ranging from centre to centre‑right, which includes a party representing the country’s Albanian minority, he has, however, been reluctant to implement the agreements resolving disputes with Greece and Bulgaria.

He notably used the term “Macedonia” rather than “North Macedonia” following his appointment, describing the country’s constitutional name as “shameful.”

Mickoski also criticised the agreement with Bulgaria, calling the decision by his predecessors a “political and strategic mistake” that has jeopardised the country’s European path and future.

Last year, he accused the EU of attempting to “dictate” what North Macedonia should do and suggested that he would accept no further delays in membership talks.

North Macedonia Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski will speak at 3pm CET.

“I believe that Montenegro can be the ’28 at 28′,” said António Costa, meaning the country could be the 28th EU member state by 2028.

“Montenegro has made the biggest progress, and their ambition to close negotiations by end of 2026 today looks credible, if they continue with the same commitment and intensive work on the required reforms.”

Montenegro received the status of a candidate country in 2010 and opened the negotiations with the EU in 2012.

Euronews Chairman Pedro Vargas has delivered the introductory speech of our Enlargement Summit praising each candidate for the progress made in their ambition to join the bloc. Accession, he said, will “secure European compromise of lasting peace”.

“Let us complete and reunite the continent, let’s enlarge Europe,” Vargas said.

“Since the first days of my mandate, I have made enlargement one of my top priorities. It is a priority that I deeply believe in. And the current geopolitical context makes this priority all the more urgent and necessary for the European Union”, said António Costa, President of the European Council, during his keynote speech at Euronews EU Enlargement Summit.

“An enlarged European Union means a safer, stronger and more peaceful Europe, at home and in the world. Enlarging is the best investment we can make today for our future”, he said.

The head of the European Council António Costa has reached the venue of the Euronews summit dedicated to Enlargement on Tuesday in Brussels.

Costa is known for his support of the enlargement process.

Picture by Romane Armangau

The Euronews’ Enlargement Summit has begun.

Our two masters of ceremony, Maria Tadeo and Méabh Mc Mahon, take the stage to welcome the guests.

The first speaker will be António Costa, the president of the European Council, who has made enlargement a priority of his mandate.

Follow our live blog for updates.

The President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has arrived at the Euronews enlargement summit in Brussels.

In September’s parliamentary elections, her pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) got a majority, seen as pivotal for the country’s future on its path to EU membership.

Starting at 14:00, the summit will be an occasion for neighbourhood leaders to discuss their future in the European Union.

Picture by Romane Armangau

Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos just told the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee (AFET) that “the coming year will be a moment of truth for all candidate countries” with the EU executive set to insist on the “highest quality of reforms”.

“Overall, 2025 was a good year for our work with candidate countries,” Kos said, adding that “there have been significant advances on the EU path achieved so far by Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine”.

“The coming year will be a moment of truth for all candidate countries, but especially those that presented ambitious plans to complete negotiations.”

The four countries all aim to finish negotiations between the end of 2026 and the end of 2028.

“Future enlargements can only be successful if we ensure that the highest quality of reforms and put safeguards in place that reassure our citizens that the integrity of our union and democratic values are ensured,” Kos said.

Moldova needs to improve and implement its meşru framework to respect human rights, the European Commission report on enlargement published on Tuesday says.

While the legislative and institutional framework is “largely in place,” and the implementation of the human rights action programme is underway, more efforts are expected by the EU executive.

“Detention conditions remain a concern, as does the treatment of people with disabilities in specialised institutions. Efforts to combat gender based violence should continue,” the report says.

According to the European Commission’s assessment, “the situation has sharply deteriorated” in Georgia, after the European Council concluded in 2024 that the country’s EU accession process was de facto halted.

The Commission’s report underlines a “serious democratic backsliding marked by a rapid erosion of the rule of law and severe restrictions on fundamental rights” and notes that current Georgian legislation is “severely limiting civic space, undermining freedom of expression and assembly, and violating the principle of non-discrimination.”

According to the Commission, Georgian authorities must demonstrate a resolute commitment to reverse course and return to the EU accession path by reversing “their democratic backsliding”. At the moment, the Commission considers Georgia “a candidate country in name only”, reads the report.

91% of people in Albania support the accession of their country to the European Union, according to the latest survey on enlargement sentiment in the Western Balkans.

Albanian citizens generally hold a positive view of the EU and believe that membership could help drive economic development, reduce corruption, and provide funding for local projects. At the same time, 46% of those surveyed think Albania will join the EU in the coming five years while 26% extend the timeline to the next 15 years.

The Moldovan Parliament can “overall exercise its powers in an effective way” but the European Commission calls for further efforts to increase “transparency, accountability, integrity and overall effectiveness”.

In particular, the Commission said in its enlargement report that Moldova’s parliament should use “oversight tools” and make müddet that the publication of activities, decisions and draft laws are timely and accompanied with documents.

On the last electoral turnout, the Commission assessed them as “well-managed despite unprecedented foreign interference, according to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,” the document reads.

“Extensive disinformation, particularly on social media, and partisan coverage in most media hindered voters’ ability to make an informed decision, and decisions to ban two parties on the konuta of elections limited meşru certainty,” the document says.

When the European Commission proposed its ambitious proposal for a €2 trillion EU budget, the prospect of enlargement was palpable.

The new budget will run from 2028 until 2034, meaning one (or more) countries could easily join during that period. Since the budget is made up of national contributions, the accession of a new member state will inevitably alter the collection and distribution of EU funds, particularly cohesion funds, which benefit regions with lower purchasing power.

This is why Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has included a “specific revision clause” in her €2 trillion proposal that will be triggered when a candidate joins the bloc. The revision will be done according to the demographic and economic size of the newly admitted country.

“It worked in the past accessions, and it will work now,” von der Leyen said in July.

Von der Leyen’s draft, however, still needs to be negotiated by member states and the European Parliament, a no-holds-barred battle that is expected to last until December 2026.

Exactly two decades after becoming an EU candidate, North Macedonia is still waiting for its first negotiation chapter to open.

Despite formally launching talks in July 2022, the process remains stuck amid political tensions and slow reforms.

The country’s accession path has been fraught with obstacles.

First came the name dispute with Greece, resolved through the Prespa Agreement of 2018, when “Macedonia” became “North Macedonia”: unlocking NATO membership and a green light for EU talks.

But the issues are not fully resolved.

Bulgaria insists that North Macedonia recognises the countries’ “shared history” and the Bulgarian roots of the Macedonian language – a claim many in Skopje see as an attack on their national identity.

Sofia has also demanded that the North Macedonia constitution be amended to explicitly recognise the Bulgarian minority, a condition set in the so-called French proposal of 2022.

North Macedonia’s parliament has yet to pass these changes, with nationalist parties calling them “humiliating”, contrary to the spirit of the Prespa Agreement.

The standoff has had clear consequences for the region’s enlargement path. Bulgaria’s veto in 2020 blocked the opening of accession talks with North Macedonia and, since the two countries’ bids had been linked, also delayed Albania’s.

Brussels later hinted that it might “decouple” the two bids to avoid punishing Tirana for a bilateral dispute it was not involved in.

Albania’s accession process has since advanced, while North Macedonia remains stuck: negotiations formally opened but no chapters are under discussion.

Public enthusiasm has also faded.

While surveys show that North Macedonians still support enlargement, fewer now see EU membership as a realistic goal.

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, left, with North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Croatia is the latest country to have joined the European Union in 2013. Its membership was granted 10 years after its initial request, and nine years from the concession of the candidate status.

Romania and Bulgaria jointly entered the EU in 2007, after a 12-year-long negotiation. Both filed their candidacy in 1995 and received the candidate status in 1999.

This waiting time has already been exceeded in the case of North Macedonia (which applied in 2004), Montenegro (2008), Serbia and Albania (2009).

The accession of new countries to the European Union risks worsening the shortage of critical workers in newer member states, aggravating an ongoing brain drain.

While further integration of the EU can create business and investment opportunities, it may also drive a significant relocation of workers seeking higher salaries and better employment prospects in wealthier member states evvel freedom of movement is established.

“Although the exodus of skilled migrants from the Western Balkans has been ongoing for decades, EU accession could intensify this phenomenon, as we observed during previous enlargements,” Lien Jansen, a PhD researcher at KU Leuven University, told Euronews.

Experts suggest that potential solutions include improving the transition from education to employment, strengthening key sectors, and offering better working conditions.

The European Commission is set to call on Serbia to align itself with the sanctions adopted by the EU against Russia, according to draft conclusions seen by Euronews.

Belgrade’s ambiguity in its foreign policy remains an obstacle on its path toward EU membership, the document states.

“Serbia should clearly manifest its geopolitical orientation towards the EU, including by starting to align with EU’s restrictive measures taken in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” the Commission says.

The Commission also notes that the reforms undertaken by the country have “significantly slowed down” in the context of an increasingly polarised society, as a protest movement has been sweeping the country for more than a year following the collapse of a train station canopy.

It reflects the “disappointment of citizens over inter alia corruption and the perceived lack of accountability and transparency coupled with instances of excessive use of force against protestors and pressure on civil society.”

More specifically on the ıslahat front, the Commission expects progress through the process of appointing the new Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM), and through the adoption of the law on the unified voter register, “to be completed and implemented in a credible and inclusive manner, involving civil society and all stakeholders, including the opposition.”

In the area of judiciary and fundamental rights, the Commission also expects the country to overcome the standstill and “urgently reverse the backsliding on freedom of expression”.

Finally, the Commission intends to hisse particular attention to the normalization of relations with Kosovo — a ciltse relationship, as Belgrade does not recognize its independence.

According to the draft conclusions seen by Euronews, the European Commission estimates that Moldova can conclude the accession negotiations by early 2028, provided it can accelerate the current pace of reforms.

The Commission assesses that Moldova has now met the conditions required to open cluster one (dedicated to fundamentals), as well as clusters six (external relations) and two (internal market).

The Commission expects Moldova to meet the conditions to open the remaining three clusters by the end of this year, which would put the country on track with its roadmap.

The draft also notes with a positive assessment that the country adopted last spring roadmaps on the rule of law, public administration ıslahat, and the functioning of democratic institutions.

Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022, just weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine.

In an interview with Euronews, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that due to Moldova’s efforts to join the bloc, the country needs a “sustained engagement and clarity from the EU to keep enlargement as a strategic priority and to maintain the momentum for those who deliver.”

Progressive parties from across Europe and Ukraine will gather in Kyiv on Friday, 7, and Saturday, 8 November for the first ‘EUkraine Progressive Summit’.

The summit is organised by the Party of European Socialists, the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, and Ukraine’s Social Democratic Platform, a non-governmental organisation that unites progressive people all over the country.

The summit will focus on Ukraine’s EU path, peace, and reconstruction.

“EU and Ukraine’s progressives will reflect on how Ukraine’s reconstruction and path to the EU can drive social progress, transforming the country into a truly democratic, socially just, resilient European state,” the announcement reads.

Enlargement has often been associated with economic prosperity, fair competition, the rule of law, democracy and human rights. But in the case of Ukraine, it has gained a new dimension: security guarantee.

“It is clear that Ukraine’s full membership of the EU is not only the best security guarantee, it is also the most effective path for prosperity and for a better future for the Ukrainian people,” António Costa, the president of the European Council, said in September.

But can EU membership actually be a security guarantee?

The bloc’s treaties foresee that if a member state becomes the target of an “armed aggression”, the other member states will be bound by “an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power”. The assistance can be military, diplomatic, technical, medical or any other relevant type. (Austria, Ireland and Malta are neutral.)

The clause, laid out in Article 47.2, has often been described as a collective defence akin to NATO’s Article 5. However, the languages are markedly different. The NATO clause is more strongly worded as it compels all necessary action, “including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area”. Additionally, NATO benefits from the presence of the United States, a nuclear superpower with a high-tech, well-funded army.

In the draft conclusions seen by Euronews, the European Commission praised North Macedonia’s “full alignment” with EU foreign policy but warned that accession talks remain blocked until Skopje fulfils its 2022 pledge to include Bulgarians and other groups in its Constitution.

The report also stressed the need for further progress in the rule of law, judicial independence, and the fight against corruption.

Back in April, Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski voiced frustration to Euronews that his country had “changed its flag, its currency and even its name” for EU promises that keep shifting with each new condition.

“Of course, there have been faults by governments in terms of lack of delivery on some issues without a doubt. But what is also a fact is that we have been a victim of far too much bilateralisation of the EU process,” he told Euronews journalist Shona Murray.

The country has been an EU candidate since 2005, but no chapters in negotiations have been opened so far.

The European Commission believes that Montenegro is “on track” to meet its ambitious objective of closing the EU accession negotiations by the end of 2026, according to draft conclusions of the new enlargement report seen by Euronews.

Montenegro’s goal is to become the 28th EU member state by 2028.

However, to achieve this, the Commission said the country will need to focus on improvements in several areas: rule of law, freedom of expression and media freedom, the fight against corruption and organised crime, as well as accelerating reforms in the judiciary sector and alignment with the EU visa policy.

“The timely filling of high-level judicial and prosecutorial positions remains a challenge that needs to be addressed,” the Commission said.

“Continued broad political consensus on key reforms remains crucial,” the EU executive added.

If Montenegro keeps its pace of progress, the Commission will present a draft financial package and draft common positions for closing negotiations on the financial and budgetary provisions, the draft conclusions said.

28 February 2022: Just a few days after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine submits a formal letter of membership to join the EU via “a new special procedure”. The decision receives widespread media attention, but member states are mixed on fast-tracked accession.

1 March 2022: President Zelenskyy virtually addresses the European Parliament and makes an impassioned case for accession. “Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans,” Zelenskyy tells lawmakers, receiving a standing ovation. The speech brings the translator to tears.

8 April 2022: Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, travels to Kyiv and presents Zelenskyy with the questionnaire to kickstart the accession process.

17 June 2022: The European Commission recommends that Ukraine be granted candidate status and lays out seven conditions, such as steps to tackle corruption, to start formal talks.

23 June 2022: The 27 leaders of the EU endorse Ukraine’s candidacy, a decision hailed as historic. Moldova, which applied shortly after Kyiv, is also granted candidate status. The two neighbours become informally coupled in the accession process.

22 June 2023: The European Commission tells member states that Ukraine has fully met two of the seven preconditions and made certain progress on the other five.

14 December 2023: The 27 leaders of the EU decide to open negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

18 June 2024: Ahead of taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council, Hungary announces it will freeze Ukraine’s accession process. It marks the start of the Hungarian veto.

28 March 2022: A proposed minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine raises serious fears over Kyiv’s ability to meet EU rules and standards. The concerns are later mitigated.

1 July 2025: The European Commission rebukes Hungary, saying there are “no objective reasons” to block Ukraine’s accession. Budapest justifies its position using the results of a national consultation.

23 July 2025: Von der Leyen expresses “strong concerns” and demands explanations over a new law in Ukraine that weakens the independence of two anti-corruption agencies. The backlash forces Kyiv to undo the meşru changes.

2 September 2025: Amid persistent speculation, ministers pour cold water on the idea of decoupling Ukraine and Moldova to allow the latter to advance in the accession process.

2 October 2025: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán derails a plan to tweak the voting rules of the accession process that would have allowed Ukraine to open the first cluster of negotiations.

Credit: European Union, 2025

Albania is on track to end accession negotiations in 2027, according to draft conclusions of the new enlargement report seen by Euronews to be unveiled today.

The country expects to join the European Union in 2030. So far, it has opened five of the six negotiating clusters required for EU accession. Only the cluster covering agriculture and cohesion is left, which Albania aims to open before the end of the year.

The conclusions state that the immediate priority is to meet the short-term goals related to the rule of law and to strengthen efforts to investigate drug trafficking and dismantle criminal groups.

Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, told Euronews earlier this year that Albania, together with Montenegro, is “clearly more advanced than the other countries.”

His remarks were echoed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Tirana, Albania’s capital, this autumn. “I want to emphasise that there has been a stunning and outstanding acceleration in the last three to four years,” she said at a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Turkey holds the record for the longest wait to join the European Union: almost 40 years at the bloc’s doorstep.

Today, the country’s membership ambitions are de facto frozen. But this wasn’t always the case. There was a time when Turkey was seriously considered a candidate to join and held the promise of becoming an influential member state

In this article from 2023, we trace back Turkey’s tortuous road.

The European Parliament believes that any new accession to the European Union should go hand-in-hand with key reforms, as the enlargement has “institutional consequences

Quoted from Euronews.