The president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, gave his support to EU membership for North Macedonia on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 November during a visit to the country, calling on the country not to give up, despite the European Council's refusal last month to open negotiations for its accession to the EU.
"The future is in ours and in your hand, lets us not lose hope because the European Union needs to work together with North Macedonia to do its utmost to be a member and to participate in the building of a new Europe", he stressed in Skopje.
According to Mr. Sassoli, the decision of the heads of state and government "is not a failure or a defeat, but a kind of slowdown". "It is a disappointment, but we should have great confidence and hope", he added.
The European Parliament President said that some Member States were already beginning to review their positions, calling this movement "very positive". "We expect the decision to change in a few months", he announced, promising that North Macedonia and the EU had "a common destiny".
"All the European institutions are convinced that North Macedonia must start the negotiation process, as it has all the characteristics and conditions for this to happen", Sassoli said, before welcoming the country's progress, "a shining example of political maturity in the Western Balkans, which will eventually be acknowledged. "I hope that the country will not get discouraged, but that it will use this pause to continue on the bold path of the reforms it has undertaken", he said.
On 24 October, the European Parliament denounced the European Council's blocking of the opening of EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania (see EUROPE 12356/6). The European Council decided to pursue this issue before the EU/Western Balkans Summit in May 2020 (see EUROPE 12352/2). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)