Petar Magjar: I do not support accelerated EU enlargement for any country

Hungarian Prime Minister Petar Magjar said that he will not support European Union enlargement "on the fast track", a stance he posted on his Facebook profile after meeting the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa.

Reactions in Skopje

In the post Magjar says that the meeting also concerned the new seven-year EU budget and that the adoption of that package can happen only if the compromise is in Hungary's interest. He wrote: "I made the meeting clear that the new seven-year EU budget can be accepted only if the compromise is in the interest of the Hungarian people and businesses. I reiterated that Hungary in any case does not support an accelerated accession for any country in the enlargement process."

Prime Minister Mickoski, responding to reporters, said he does not believe the statement is aimed against Macedonia, since Hungary is a long-standing friend and supporter of the EU integration processes.

Opposition leader Venko Filipche accused Mickoski and the government of being "the main brakes" on EU integration and added that even strategic partners are beginning to notice this.

Meanwhile the country enters a new deadline — by December it must deliver the reform laws required of us. All this is happening while the Albanian opposition bloc has already started blocking the legislative chamber before the holidays and announced it will continue, especially regarding laws that, according to them, are contrary to the Ohrid Framework Agreement.

Assembly Speaker Gashi pointed out that laws will be put on agendas according to several criteria — need, urgency and political will — and that he will ask the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Mandate-Immunity Issues to determine whether the opposition is abusing the rules and procedures to obstruct the work of the sessions.

Photo: press material from the event