The director of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, Mario Holzner, warns against further stalling the candidate countries in the Western Balkans. The EU must act to push back geopolitical rivals such as China and Russia, he said in an interview with Hans-Peter Siebenhaar. Therefore, the states should be given access to the single market ahead of accession.
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The EU summit starting today is supposed to produce results on a geopolitical level. However, a clear strategy is not yet emerging. Some member states warn against putting Ukraine on the fast track, while the Western Balkan countries remain in the slow lane.
By Eric Bonse
The transport of Ukrainian goods stalls at the Polish border. But wheat, which is urgently needed on the global market, is not even included among the export goods. Millions of tons are still stuck in Ukraine. High insurance costs and a lack of buyers despite the shortage make deliveries unattractive.
By Timo Landenberger
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz tried his best to persuade Sofia to abandon its blockade of accession talks with North Macedonia. Finance Minister Vassilev has now rejected the hoped-for solution ahead of Thursday's summit.
By Till Hoppe
