Telegraph: Macron is ‘holding North Macedonia hostage’


According the UK daily newspaper Telegraph, diplomats in Brussels accuse Emmanuel Macron, who styles himself ardent Europhile, of blocking negotiations between Brussels and Skopje on north Macedonia joining the EU.
Emmanuel Macron was accused of holding North Macedonia hostage to force through his dream of closer political integration among European Union countries on Wednesday.
“The French president, who styles himself as an ardent Europhile, was blamed for blocking negotiations between Brussels and Skopje on North Macedonia joining the EU.
Brussels is using the carrot of EU membership to convince North Macedonia to embrace controversial and wide ranging reforms, including changing the country’s name to end a decades-long bitter row with Greece.
The French have shrunk our carrot,” one EU source said, “This is a slap in the face of North Macedonia which has done everything right.”
Telegraph estimates that Macron’s blockade of North Macedonia was due to “his dream of closer political integration in the European Union”.