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French politics heat up over "civil war" letter
Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden, shares his perspective on Europe In 60 Seconds:
What's the issue with the letter in France talking about the "civil war"?
Well, I think it is part of the beginning of the French election campaign. We have some people in the military encouraged by the more right-wing forces, warning very much for the Muslim question. That's part of the upstart to the election campaign next year. More to come, I fear.
Is there any update on the EU accession for the Western Balkan countries?
There was a meeting of the EU foreign ministers the other day and they were very much in favor of the process. But we still have the question of the Bulgarians blocking off Macedonia for historical unrelated reasons that are completely unacceptable but is a fact. And we also don't know really where the French are. So we are still waiting for the important decision on that.
A deal on the EU Recovery Fund? North Macedonia and the EU
Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden, with the view from Europe:
Is it likely that there will be a deal on the EU Recovery Fund at the summit this weekend?
That remains to be seen. There's a huge amount that needs to be decided, both concerning the immensely big recovery fund and also the entire seven-year budget for the entire European Union. And there are significant divergences between views, so far. So, there might be a deal, but it might also be somewhat delayed. I'm quite certain at the end of the day there will be the deal.
Does the result of the North Macedonia election make it more likely that the Balkan country will start to enter the European Union?
Yes, in the sense that I think that there will be the start of negotiations for accession of North Macedonia to the European Union starting by the end of this year. And that is a significant breakthrough for a country that has been in a difficult situation prior both to the agreement on Greece, with Greece on the name, and this election. So, it's a positive sign for the region.