The French President, Emmanuel Macron, told the European lawmakers in Strasbourg that the EU must not accept new countries until the block will have a deeper integration, undergoing all-inclusive reforms.
“I want the Western Balkan countries to join the European project, but now is not the right moment to allow new accession”, he said for Washington Post.
Answering to the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, who appealed for enlargement, Macron reiterated that he would support it only if there is a deeper integration with the European project in the region.
“I don’t want Balkan to go towards Russia or Turkey, but also we don’t want a Europe which already finds it hard to function with 28 states today, 27 tomorrow, and have the same rules with 30 or 32 members in the future”, the French President declared.
According to French media, Macron sent a clear signal to Berlin that Paris will support new accessions only if Germany will support its project for a deep restructuring of the European Union.
The EU and Balkan leaders will meet next month to discuss the future of the unstable region, but chances are that the block will not invite the countries of the region to join them.
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