Sorry to disturb the party mood: Nothing about the new methodology makes #EUenlargement more dynamic. As a reminder, the reform came into being solely because of the French veto to open accession negotiations with #NorthMacedonia. (1/9) https://twitter.com/OliverVarhelyi/status/1390263191872151554

Bye the way: When can Skopje expect negotiations to begin? Anyway ... all serious experts and observers of the EU enlargement policy agree that the member states are slowing down the process enormously. #NorthMacedonia is a great example why. (2/9)

The @EU_Commission first recommended the opening of accession negotiations with - then still - #Macedonia in its progress report in October 2009 (!). Since then, accession negotiations have been postponed year after year after year. (3/9)

Not so much because of the bad governance under Nikola Gruevski, but because of EU member states like Greece. Macedonia has therefore extra changed its name. A step that Prime Minister @Zoran_Zaev took upon himself against enormous domestic political pressure (4/9).

And what was it all for? Only so that the next EU member, this time Bulgaria with frighteningly revisionist-nationalist nonsense, blocks the opening of accession negotiations. In short, the EU member states are a serious problem for #EUenlargement. (5/9)

And what does the @EU_Commission do against this? Take back the influence of EU member states? No! Exactly the opposite! The new methodology invites member states to "contribute" even more systematically to the enlargement process, via monitoring it "on the ground". (6/9)

Sorry, I thought the monitoring of #EUenlargement was the responsibility of the DG @eu_near? And instead of weakening the veto potential of EU member states, the new methodology even makes it more easier for the member states to take back progress once achieved. (7/9)

In serious cases, the @EU_Commission can now make proposals at "motivated request" of a member state to take actions against candidate states. This new procedure explicitly includes simplified procedures, namingly reverse qualified majority voting. (8/9)

I mean seriously: We need RQMV to speed up the process, not slow it down! #NorthMacedonia is a cautionary example. So once again: Nothing about the new methodology makes #EUenlargement more dynamic. Anyone who speaks of the opposite is engaging in false-flagging! Rant end. (9/9)