The EU thread

[alfred russel]

It is sad that Turkey spends so much food when it is named after poultry.

[Josquius]

It is sad that Turkey spends so much food when it is named after poultry.

Turkiye makes so much more sense. The government is trying to stop people thinking about food.

[Zanza]

[The Larch]

The French are truly the Grumpy Smurf of the EU re. enlargement.

[Tonitrus]

If France is Grumpy Smurf, which EU country would be the Brainy Smurf? 

[The Larch]

Ukraine and Moldova have been given official EU candidate status.

[Barrister]

Ukraine and Moldova have been given official EU candidate status.

[Sheilbh]

Ukraine and Moldova have been given official EU candidate status.

Yeah which is very good news.

Although seems to have been a bit of mixed some. Great progress (albeit largely symbolic) there, but a bit of a mess on the West Balkans - the Albanian PM was really critical at the joint press conference with Serbia and North Macedonia.

And apparently Macron's going to explain his "European Political Community" concept tonight - it'll be interesting to see reactions.

[Barrister]

And apparently Macron's going to explain his "European Political Community" concept tonight - it'll be interesting to see reactions.

It very much sounds like the EU kid's table, but I'll wait to hear further details.

[Sheilbh]

I'm a little more suspicious today because while most of the West Balkans leaders seemed quite angry at the lack of progress for them, Serbia, which isn't really even a full democracy any more and is very pro-Russia, was quite enthusiastic for this idea as an alternative.

Never seems a reason for optimism when the most enthusiastic is someone who'd only ever be a spoiler.

[mongers]

Ukraine and Moldova have been given official EU candidate status.

Population wise that's a pretty good replacement for England/Wales and Scotland.

And to replace Northern Ireland we could offer those in Kalingrad a place in the EU if they left Russia, then the EU would 'own' a similar problem to the one that's dogged the UK all these years.

[Sheilbh]

Although I am once again asking quite why Macron feels the need to say this stuff.

This was at his press conference immediately after they were granted candidate status. No doubt - as every time Macron says something like this - all the French foreign policy people will be explaining what he really meant which may add some clarity. But to me it sounds like he basically thinks the European Political Community is the correct "geopolitical" space for Ukraine and it will, eventually, also include Russia in his theory - which feels like a theory that won't survive contact with reality.

I get explaining it will take a long time but this seems a bit more than that:

laurence norman
@laurnorman
Macron has just said at the press conference right after Ukraine given candidate status that 1) NATO has said no to Ukraine. and that 2) over time, opening EU accession process to Ukraine is not the right geopolitical response.   These are both highly problematic.
To put in context, his argument was that his political community structure is the right geopolitical response. OK, leaders will discuss that tonight. But that is NOT the NATO position. And it seems extraordinary to diss Ukraine's EU accession prospects minutes after agreeing it.
This is my translation from French. Others may have better version. But was asked by @markuspreiss about his comment 3 years ago that the only response EU had to non-members' predicament was to invite it to become a member, knowing you wouldn't have to deal with consequences...
As part of a long answer, he said, "So therefore, the geopolitical response in the context of the war is indeed to continue to give this perspective. Is it that over time, I think it's the right geopolitical perspective? I tell you frankly, as I did three years ago. No."...
"Because it will take time and because we see a phenomenon of some sort of fatigue of enlargement among the countries that have joined." Again, he's not saying Ukraine will never join or they'll stop the process. And he's pitching a broader argument to have another construct...
ie his European political community idea. But it's still a remarkable thing to say minutes after offering Ukraine candidate status. And it will do nothing to prevent Russia and its social media mob saying this is an unserious process and Ukraine will never join.
Very open to hearing if people think this is a misinterpretation of @EmmanuelMacron comments. I have now listened back several times.
And sorry to harp on this but I see lots of stereotypical tweeting on this. Macron did not say he was opposed to offering candidate status. He said that was the right response now in context of war and without alternative. But not the right "geopolitical" response over time.

[Admiral Yi]

Moldava is a pretty dodgy place AFAIK, even by Balkan standards.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Moldava is a pretty dodgy place AFAIK, even by Balkan standards.

they'll be right at home in the EU then.

[The Larch]

EU to open accession talks with Albania, North Macedonia
The European Union's 27 members have agreed to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. The two countries have long criticized the slow progress on their EU membership bids.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, whose country currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency, said on Monday that the bloc's members had agreed to open accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia.

EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania have been pending since 2020.

The process to to become an EU member state is a long one. But since Russia invaded Ukraine, the strategic importance of the Western Balkans to the EU has increased.

Monday's announcement also came after North Macedonia resolved a long dispute with its EU neighbor Bulgaria, which had been blocking the start of the accession talks with Skopje.

EU countries have "just agreed to open accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia!" Fiala wrote on Twitter. "We have taken another important step towards bringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU," he added.

Albania and North Macedonia's leaders will meet with Fiala on Tuesday in Brussels "to discuss the next steps on their path to the EU," he said.