Merz tells Western Balkans candidates "Reforms and political will must come from you" for EU entry
“EU membership is what we want for you. You can count on Germany’s support, as well as my personal support. As the European Union, we have done our part, but you must do yours as well. Reforms and political will must come from you”
Reported October 23, 2026 by skopjediem.com. Checked word for word against that report.
At a Berlin Process gathering in Montenegro, North Macedonia’s prime minister argued that his country merits entry into the European Union but has been blocked from opening accession talks for reasons he described as contrived, while also noting a range of global and regional crises. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz used the forum to affirm Germany’s willingness to back the Western Balkans’ path to EU membership, stressing that the bloc’s own contributions are already in place but that further progress hinges on the candidate states implementing reforms and demonstrating political resolve. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stöcker added that lingering bilateral issues should not impede enlargement and urged swift, step‑by‑step inclusion of all six Balkan nations into the EU single market, the end of roaming charges and participation in the SEPA system, arguing they should not be treated less favorably than Ukraine or Moldova.
- skopjediem.com ↗︎23 OCT 2026