The EU’s doors should remain open

Following today’s vote in the European Parliament on a resolution on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, Renew Europe expresses its support to the enlargement process and for a European perspective for the Western Balkans in general and for the North Macedonia and Albania in particular.

The Enlargement process is a strategic investment into the stability, peace and prosperity of our continent and the accession negotiations are a catalyst for democratic reforms in the candidate and potentially candidate countries.

Nevertheless, for the enlargement to be ambitious, credible and a successful process for both sides, the European Union should engage in a process of in-depth institutional reform.

The Conference on the future of Europe will be a crucial step to reflect and to launch necessary internal reforms.

The enlargement process could also benefit from review of the current format of the negotiation for accession that should incorporate lessons learned from previous enlargements.

Renew Europe Group MEP, Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Bulgaria), who negotiated the resolution said:
"The broad majority in support of the resolution is a clear signal that EU leaders should again discuss whether to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.
We need to be careful not to undermine the EU’s credibility and destabilise the region. The countries need to be assessed on their own merit based on objective criteria. North Macedonia and Albania have continuously proved that they are part of the European family, including during the migration crisis.”