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USA TodayDec 27, 2021
The Facts
On Tues., the EU officially opened accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, the first step on a long road to full membership for the two nations.
This comes days after North Macedonia's parliament approved a deal resolving disputes with Bulgaria, which had blocked any breakthrough in talks since 2020, accusing Skopje of disrespecting shared cultural, linguistic, and historic ties.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
After changing its name to please the Greeks, North Macedonia has been forced by the EU to kowtow to shameful Bulgarian demands. Now, Skopje must choose between protecting its identity and history or giving them up to enter the European bloc.
Pro-establishment narrative
This is a historic day for Albania and North Macedonia, which have shown they deserve to be part of the bloc after working hard to create mechanisms to tackle corruption and protect civil rights. Under the rotating presidency of France, the EU has correctly acted to remove internal opposition to their accession.