France opposes EU membership talks with North Macedonia, Albania - diplomats

France told its European Union peers this week it was against launching membership negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania for now, diplomatic sources told Reuters, casting a shadow over the countries' ambition to integrate with the West. More than half of the EU's 28 member states, as well as its top officials in Brussels, are pushing to reward the two Balkan states for reforms by agreeing to start accession talks.