Albania advances EU integration while North Macedonia stalls due to political and bilateral hurdles.
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Albania and North Macedonia present two different models of progress toward European Union integration. Albania has consolidated its position as an active negotiator by opening all chapters, while North Macedonia remains stalled in preliminary negotiation phases due to political conditions, bilateral barriers, and internal lack of consensus. Early efforts by North Macedonia to gain candidate status were complicated by regional issues and domestic politics. While both countries initially progressed together until 2022, Albania proceeded with greater momentum after separating from the joint process. Experts suggest that while North Macedonia has made technical progress in some areas, its overall dynamic is slower than Albania’s. Key challenges for North Macedonia include historical neighbor disputes, internal populist policies, and slow implementation of reforms, despite receiving EU funding. Furthermore, environmental issues remain a significant hurdle for both nations; Albania faces challenges in closing key chapters like environment and food security due to the need for major investments and administrative capacity building, though it has made progress. North Macedonia faces severe environmental problems, including high air pollution rates, which pose structural risks to its membership prospects. Experts warn that continued stagnation could lead to democratic backsliding, increased emigration, and economic isolation for North Macedonia, while Albania must maintain reform momentum despite the complexity of its own legislative requirements.
