EU to come back to the enlargement issue by 2020
The President of the European Commission, Donald Tusk, said that the European Union will come back to the EU enlargement by May 2020, before the Summit in Zagreb, after the member states did not succeed to reach an agreement for start of negotiations with Albania and Macedonia.
Chancellor Angela Merkel at a press conference expressed that she “regrets very much” that the EU did not manage to reach a consensus and pointed out that France, Denmark and the Netherlands had been against.
Tusk and Juncker: Failing to reach a consensus for North Macedonia and Albania is a historic mistake of the European Union!
At a joint press conference of the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, both expressed their disappointment from the failure to bring a decision on setting a date for start of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.
“Not having a decision on a date for start of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania is not the fault of either of the two countries. Both countries have the right to start the negotiations with the EU today. They are prepared. Unfortunately, some of the member states are not prepared. And that is why we did not manage to reach a consensus. I personally do not consider this as a failure, rather as a mistake. Both countries passed their exam. I can’t say this about our member states. I want to send a message: Please do not give up! I have no doubt that one day you will become full members of the EU”, said the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk.
Pendarovski: We do not see enemies in Europe, just countries with specific national interests
The President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, addressed the citizens after the EU Summit in Brussels. In his address, he speaks about the decision of the Summit and the call for a leaders meeting.
As he outlined, although the conclusions of the Summit are not in accordance to our expectations, nevertheless, the decisions of the EU need to be understood. As to the leaders meeting, Pendarovski scheduled it for October 20, Sunday. The time and place of the meeting will be additionally decided.
“Now is not the time for disappointment, for apathy or calculations for gaining minor daily political points. Now is the time for uniting again for what is most important in the Republic of North Macedonia – our future and the future of the generations to come. I am deeply convinced that only if we work together – we will succeed!”, stated Pendarovski.
Osmani: Today’s injustice must not distance us from our efforts for joining the EU
We are part of Europe and today’s injustice must not distance us from our efforts to continue with the implementation of reforms, to build good neighbourly relations and to foster coexistence and a multicultural society, or simply, to continue building a European Republic of North Macedonia, stated today on Facebook the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs, Bujar Osmani.
– I have no doubt that the European credibility has been unsettled as of today, not only in the country, but also in the entire region. And this is a normal, logical and natural consequence when a Union built on principles violates the basic principle and fails to keep its word. However, this must not distance us from the European values, says Osmani in his post.
Macron brings the future of EU enlargement into question
French President Emanuel Macron in his first public address after having blocked the negotiations with Macedonia and Albania yesterday, said that full EU membership should no longer be the only policy towards countries from EU’s neighbourhood, bringing into question publicly for the first the European future and perspectives of the Western Balkans given in Thessaloniki in 2003
Sela: The government is incompetent, early elections are needed
At today’s press conference of the Alliance for the Albanians, the leader of the party, Ziadin Sela, stated that it is the government’s fault for not receiving a date for negotiations for EU membership. He also demanded early parliamentary elections.
VMRO – DPMNE demands resignation of Prime Minister Zaev and early parliamentary elections
Not receiving a date for start of negotiations is bad and unwanted news. We need to be aware that the country is in great disappointment, and all this is a consequence of the wrong policies led in the past several years, said the leader of the party, Hristijan Mickoski.
FLASH NEWS
European Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn responded on Tweeter following the failure of the EU leaders to make a clear and essential decision, as they had promised in June, on the start of the negotiations with Macedonia and Albania.
“The EU leaders failed to live up to their commitment and open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania at the European Council. This is a matter of extreme disappointment. The EU member states now need to clarify how serious their commitment is to the Western Balkans’ EU integration. The refusal to acknowledge proven progress from the Western Balkans will have negative consequences, including the risk of destabilization of the region, with full impact on the EU”, warned Hahn.
The least that the European Union owes the region is to be straightforward with us. If there is no more consensus on the European future of the Western Balkans, if the promise of Thessaloniki 2003 does not stand, the citizens deserve to know, wrote the Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Dimitrov, on Tweeter.
The leader of the opposition, Hristijan Mickoski, at a press conference called for a leaders meeting, but confirmed that he would participate even if the meeting was convened and initiated by President Stevo Pendarovski. Mickoski said that it is not important who initiates, but that it is important for such a meeting to be held as soon as possible.
“I call for a leaders meeting. But if the President calls for it to be on Sunday, in order for me to be clear, I will participate, but we do need to officially receive an invitation”, said Mickoski.
The new Law on primary education, but also the old one, anticipates as an obligation for parents enrolling their children in first grade to submit a certificate of compulsory vaccination. In May we confirmed that all applications for enrolment must be submitted, but that vaccination should be made until September 1, stated Minister of Education and Science Arber Ademi in relation to the vaccination of children, during his visit to the Institute of Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of the Albanians.
CIVILIAN ACTIVITIES
CIVIL tomorrow in Prilep will hold a seminar on transparent and responsible political processes
The second regional seminar on transparent and responsible political processes will be held tomorrow, (October 19) in the city library “Borka Taleski” in Prilep.
The new series of CIVIL’s seminars dedicated to transparent and responsible political processes are very dynamic, with in-depth lectures and practical exercises, where participants have the opportunity to learn about the basics of journalism, citizen participation and activism and the fight for human rights and freedoms.
Part of the lectures are dedicated to the new technological benefits as an instrument in the fight for transparent and responsible political processes.
WE and green values
Green values do not imply only ecology. They are a set of opportunities that put human rights and freedoms and human dignity on a pedestal. Everyone deserves a green future, protected environment, environmental justice and guarantee for sustainable development of the community.
OPINION
Burst: XHABIR DERALLA
Thugs and scammers!
So, let’s recap, they worked and are working against the Macedonian progress, against the establishment of the legal order, they tried to carry out a coup, blocked all the processes, are sending letters and are calling all their contacts that are decent enough to answer the phone, and are audaciously lying and blaming, in a way that is dictated by someone who is against the Macedonian, but also European interests. They’ve been read long ago, and increasingly less are those who listen to them out of pure courtesy.
A hot political autumn for a sweet political spring
by: VELIN STOJANOVSKI
We live in a region that has been a powder keg throughout history. By joining the Alliance, we will never again in this region speak about wars and conflicts, but about peace, common life, happiness, European values, investments that have brought well-being and impressions will be told from travelling around the world…
That is why dear politicians, calm down, correct the rhetoric, roll up your sleeves and work in the interest of all of us. Spring will come by soon with its sweet fruits: NATO membership and start of negotiations for EU membership.
Dehran Muratov in cooperation with: Biljana Jordanovska, Angela Petrovska, Xhabir Deralla, Маја Ivanovska, Diana Tahiri
Translation: Natasa Cvetkovska
