France seeks postponement of talks with Albania, Northern Macedonia for EU membership

Paris proposes revision of the enlargement process: The European Commission presents the new strategy within the spring of 2020. Meanwhile, both countries are required to advance with reforms.

The Voice of America has learned that the proposal France has put at the table of member states at the moment is primarily linked to President Emmanuel Macron's public idea, to reform the EU first before advancing enlargement. In the works of this idea France requires a revised approach to the enlargement process. According to her, negotiations with countries that need to be members should be gradual, more concrete and the process not be automatic and irreversible, or in other words, as soon as proper progress is not assessed, the process can be suspended.

This, as they explained to the Voice of America, diplomatic sources, is in the works of tangible implementation of reforms, especially those related to the rule of law, the fight against organised crime and corruption, as well as fundamental rights.

Under France's proposal, within the spring of next year, the European Commission must draft this new approach or strategy for the enlargement process. While in parallel, Albania and northern Macedonia are required in the meantime to proceed with implementing reforms, whose specificity remains to be determined, but which may be, in Albania's case, approximately what the German proposal contains and any additional element for which France has a particular sensitivity. / VOA