Tag: FYROM

Hundreds of young Macedonia Slavs marched in Skopje yesterday (17 April) to protest against the killings of five fishermen north of the capital. Speculation about Albanian-led gang-style executions were reinforced by threats from a so-called "Army for the liberation of Albanian lands" to launch new attacks. 

In an unprecedented move, Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle has warned Macedonia that the country could lose the recommendation to start accession negotiations which it received last year, if no progress is made on the path to reform and if the EU hopeful keeps on taking actions considered by Greece as "provocations".

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán presented in Brussels yesterday (14 April) his country's accomplishments halfway through its EU presidency. Pre-empting tough questions on Hungarian internal politics, Orbán lashed out at some of Europe's "absurdities".

The socialist opposition in EU candidate country Macedonia has announced it is leaving the country's parliament, in protest against a move by the centre-right government to block the bank accounts of several media companies.

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso urged Macedonia and Greece to resolve once and for all their twenty-year dispute over the EU hopeful's name after meeting Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov in Brussels yesterday (9 September).

The EU's main objective for the Western Balkans region (South East Europe) is to create a situation where military conflict is unthinkable – expanding to the region the area of peace, stability, prosperity and freedom, established over the last fifty years in the European Union. The countries of Western Balkans have all been given the prospect of EU membership.

Despite growing opposition from some member states - namely those where the population has voted 'No' in EU Constitution referenda - the Commission wants to keep enlargement on track.

This report from a high level seminar organised by the Institute for Security Studies, debates what consequences the EU should draw from the conclusion in the European Security Strategy that 'failing states' is one of the 'key threats' confronting Europe. 

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) will submit its formal application for membership status in the EU by the end of 2003.