German Parliament Backs Albania, North Macedonia EU Talks

In a major boost to the EU membership hopes of both Balkan countries, the German Bundestag on Thursday night voted to support the start of EU accession talks for North Macedonia and Albania.

The vote means the German government should be "in favour" of a start date for the two countries at the European Council meeting on October 17-18.

A huge majority of MPs, 476, voted in favour of opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia while 122 were against and 16 abstained. On Albania, 395 MPs supported starting membership talks, 188 were against while 16 abstained.

MPs set no conditions for the start of EU accession talks with North Macedonia. Legislators from the ruling centre-right Christian Democratic Party expressed support for the country's reform efforts, mentioning the historic 2018 "name" agreement with Greece as an exemplary achievement for the entire region that closed a decades-long dispute.

North Macedonia was urged to continue its reform course, especially in the sphere of the rule of law, the fight against corruption and crime and human rights.

Regarding Albania, the Bundestag recommended setting a date for the start of talks, but conditioned their technical beginning on Albania first creating the conditions for its Constitutional Court to function and reforming its electoral laws.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn welcomed the "Yes" vote. "Acknowledgment of concrete progress is key as incentive for reforms in the Western Balkans and for EU's credibility!" Hahn tweeted on Thursday evening.

The decision in Berlin will add to the hopes of the governments in Skopje and Tirana, who had been hoping to get a firm date to start EU membership talks before the end of the year.

However, they still have...