POZNAŃ – French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to reform the EU should not be viewed as a rejection of accession negotiations – this is the position of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, expressed during today’s press conference at the Western Balkans Summit in Poznań.
Asked whether Macron’s position that further enlargement should only come after the deepening of cooperation in the EU, Merkel stated that, while she agrees that there is room for improving the cooperation mechanisms of the EU, she does not view it as a rejection of the accession negotiations.
“As we know, the accession process lasts very long, and we have enough time to re-evaluate our own cooperation,” she emphasised.
Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev agreed with her assessment.
“We are not asking to become a member of the EU, we are just asking for further motivation to improve ourselves and to move closer towards European societies”, stated Zaev, adding that the membership would probably come after “five, seven or ten years”.