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Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker have been focused on the European Council's decision not to open negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. Both of them have considered this decision wrong.
The outgoing president of the European Council has called it a mistake on the part of EU leaders and said he hopes leaders will make the right decision before the May 2020 Zagreb Summit.
Jean-Claude Juncker has called it a historic mistake, stating that it is not normal to make promises to countries in the region and not keep them.
The head of the right-wing parliamentary group Manfred Weber has also been fierce in his reaction. In his speech, he said the EU has responsibility for the Balkan region.
Albania and North Macedonia have made their efforts, he said. North Macedonia has even changed its name, but the European Council did not make the right decision, Weber said, citing President Macron as the deterrent to opening negotiations.
"We're losing our credibility," Weber said, and we need to correct that.
“It is very wrong not to open negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. It is a long road of reforms, of course, but the decision would give hope to both countries and mean stability for the region and the EU itself," said Iratxe Garcia Perez, head of the Social Democratic group.