Albania and North Macedonia in negotiations enter Europe

After Serbia and Montenegro, the time has also come for Albania and North Macedonia to officially start negotiations for joining the European Union. The approval came thanks to the agreement, reached unanimously, by the twenty-seven member countries, meeting by videoconference. In approving Tirana and Skopje, however, the date on which the negotiations can officially start is not yet included. This detail, although it marks a very important step forward for the two countries, also represents the symptom of the caution that is present in the member countries of Brussels and the doubts of some countries, in particular. It is not a mystery that France and Holland , with their skepticism, have slowed the negotiations by causing at least three postponements in the past two years. The reasons of Paris and Amsterdam are certainly not wrong: the two countries, although integrated into European culture, still do not provide adequate guarantees regarding judicial reforms, the plurality of the media and especially corruption, while another theme the request for a greater contrast against illegal migration is very felt, of which some routes used by migrants pass through the two countries, subject to gains from illegal organizations. For its part, the European Union recognizes the two countries some significant progress on the application of civil rights, democratic rules and relations with neighboring countries. From the point of view of the process of enlargement of the Union, this is an acceleration towards the inclusion of the Balkan area because it supports the processes already underway for Montenegro and Serbia. The reflection that must be imposed is to ascertain the real intentions of the Balkan countries to join Europe, in order not to repeat the mistakes made with the countries of the former Soviet bloc, in particular those that adhere to the Visegrad pact: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, which, although with different nuances, have repeatedly opposed the common European policy, refusing to adhere to the Brussels directives, while drawing heavily on the Union's financial resources, which, for some of these countries they constitute the main economic entrance. These reasons must be the fundamental issues on which to base the admission judgment system, in addition, it would also be appropriate to provide for legal forms of termination of membership to be included in negotiations, to then extend them to members who are already members of the Union. An enlargement without total sharing of European principles and spirit would only be a reason for further potential disintegration of the European Union and its future objectives, which can no longer be postponed to allow Europe to play the role it has in the field. international.