Zaev: Germany fears Edi Rama for joining Kosovo

If Northern Macedonia does not get the date for starting negotiations, there is danger of the government falling, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has declared. At a meeting with reporters in Brussels, Zaev has said postponing the decision in the German parliament and, as a result, delaying the date for the start of the negotiations jeopardises the reinforcement of nationalist powers and the loss of the majority in the Assembly.

Even the Government's reconstruction process, according to the prime minister, depends on the decision on the date.

If they decide not to give us a date, the government will likely collapse. This stable government, with all these positive decisions, is likely immediately to lose most in the Assembly. That is because MPs were promised that they would certainly make a positive decision from the EU if we move forward. This means that citizens will be encouraged to support nationalism, radicalism, and that is neither good for our country nor for the region. They are options and we are afraid of that variant” said Zoran Zaev, prime minister.

Zaev stressed that he said that the Netherlands and France have more reservations for starting negotiations with Albania, while added that Germans fear the Albanian side's threats that the decision could affect instability in the region, especially in Kosovo.

“They think that if they open negotiations with northern Macedonia and are left out of Albania, it will create a problem and affect Kosovo. Germans are afraid of threats by my friend Edi Rama for possible changes in borders or joining Kosovo, but I don't believe in these jobs, as that means going back 10 years to Albania. While such a thing no one wants”, Zaev said among others

Meanwhile, Euro Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn, on a working morning with ambassadors of EU member states, has tried to promote a positive decision on granting consent to North Macedonia start membership negotiations. Until right now, there are no details from the meeting. When we are separated about two weeks from the meeting of the member states' foreign ministers, their final position for Northern Macedonia is not yet known. The previous day of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's meeting in Brussels appears to have changed nothing. “More EU member states refuse to start negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia”, writes Austrian newspaper “Die Presse”, which continues that the first “, France and the Netherlands strongly oppose the start of negotiations on both countries”

European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker after meeting with Zaev acknowledged that some countries are still opposed to opening negotiations now.

I know some member states have concerns. I'll do everything in my power to convince them”-excited Jean Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission.

Juncker, however, had stressed that according to objective facts, North Macedonia is ready for the next step. With eurokomerin Hahn they had also met representatives of VMRO- The DPMNE, which had voiced concerns about the functioning of institutions in the country and the impasse of reforms, but on the other hand, had sought the start of membership negotiations/ Alsat -M