German press analyses Chancellor Scholz's Balkan journey

The newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes in Monday's number of two refusals it received to unblock works in Sofia and Serbia. In Sofia, the topic was Bulgaria's blocking the start of EU membership negotiations for Northern Macedonia.

“in particular, Sofia wants North Macedonia to recognise the existence of a Bulgarian minority in its constitution. Thereafter, the view seems to be that residents of northern Macedonia do not make up a separate nation. Even the view that Macedonian is only a western Bulgarian dialect is a common dialect in Bulgaria”.

Scholz made it clear in Skopje following talks with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevskie “The EU particularly owes North Macedonia, which meets all conditions for starting membership negotiations”. Negotiations launched two years ago must now be successfully completed.

The time has come to keep the promises, which have been made to Western Balkan countries since 2003. The fact that all this has lasted so long is also due to the EU. He lacked political leadership, even to dare something,” said the Chancellor. Northern Macedonia, as well as Albania, deserves the first “membership conference to open immediately”. He will commit to the EU making a relevant decision for both countries. ”

Analyst Markus Vener writes further that Scholzi had already received a rejection as clear as in Sofia the day before when he went to Kosovo and later to Serbia.

The Chancellor in Pristina said it was not possible for states that do not recognise each other to become EU members. In Belgrade, he was rejected by Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq. Serbia does not react to pressure, “when someone threatens us”, Vucic said. And: “we've never heard that mutual recognition is required”. On the contrary, it has always been talked about normalising relations with Kosovo.

Scholzi told him that Germany's position that Kosovo should also become an EU member should be long known. I said something that's more obvious, maybe this will help. ”

“However, the Chancellor does not want to be discouraged by the stubbornness of his co- talkers in Belgrade and Sofia on any occasion, he had no illusion that his trip would directly solve problems in the Western Balkans. He said he met many friends on his trip, who were happy to see Germany take that role. At the end of his trip, Scholz appeared optimisticly”.

There are many problems between the Western Balkan countries, but there are no outstanding problems”. Thanks to Russia's war, Scholzi sees a new readiness of EU member states to commit to the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union. As for all objections to this subject, it is certain that they need “mated”. / DW