
SDS leader Zoran Zaev claims that German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised that Germany will approve the opening of EU accession talks for Macedonia, not in June, July or August, but in September. However, the statement from the Bundeskanzleramt contains no such promise.
Merkel made no statement before or after her meeting with Zaev this morning, and the press release merely notes that the two discussed “foreign and European policy issues”.
Germany, along with France, set a goal to enhance the stability of the Balkan region. An important step in this regard was to resolve the “Macedonia” name issue. Under UN auspices this Balkan state renamed itself into North Macedonia on February 12th 2019, which put an end to the name issue with Greece, which lasted since 1991. In April, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev attended the Western Balkans meeting organized by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, the German press release informs.
The press release doesn’t contain a pledge that Macedonia opens its accession talks in September, as Zaev had earlier claimed. His September pledge is nothing but ‘buying time’ to keep himself in power. And with “opposition” like the DPNE, Zaev will have no issues to remain in power.