According to Serbian Economist, North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova stated that the European Union needs to revise its methodology for accession negotiations, as the current format, in her words, should not be based on the principle of “shut up and listen.”
Siljanovska-Davkova emphasized that North Macedonia does not accept such an approach to dialogue with the EU. According to her, the negotiation process should be based on equality, respect, and clear criteria, rather than on political demands that go beyond the classic conditions for accession.
The criticism came amid a protracted deadlock in North Macedonia’s European integration. The country received candidate status back in 2005, but its path to the EU was blocked for many years, first by a dispute with Greece over the country’s name, and then by disagreements with Bulgaria regarding history, language, and the rights of the Bulgarian minority.
Following the 2018 Prespa Agreement, the country changed its name from Macedonia to North Macedonia, which paved the way for NATO accession and was intended to accelerate European integration. However, the negotiation process later stalled again due to demands related to the inclusion of Bulgarians in the country’s constitution.
In 2022, the EU agreed on the so-called French proposal, which was intended to lift the Bulgarian veto and unblock the negotiations. However, in Skopje, this formula sparked heated political controversy: some political forces believe that bilateral historical and identity issues should not become part of European criteria.
Siljanovska-Davkova has previously criticized the EU’s approach, stating that enlargement must return to the Copenhagen criteria, the principles of meritocracy, reforms, and the rule of law, rather than depend on additional bilateral requirements.
Formally, the country remains on the European path; however, without constitutional changes and a political compromise with Bulgaria, the opening and advancement of negotiation chapters remain complicated.
Currently, the official candidate countries for EU membership are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Kosovo is viewed by the EU as a potential candidate, but its status is complicated by the fact that five EU member states do not recognize Kosovo’s independence.
Turkey’s history shows that candidate status alone does not guarantee accession.
Turkey applied for membership in the then-European Economic Community as far back as 1987, received candidate status in 1999, and accession negotiations began in 2005.
However, Turkey’s negotiations with the EU have effectively reached an impasse and have not progressed for many years. The main reasons are the EU’s concerns regarding the state of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and media freedom, as well as political disagreements with certain EU member states. While Turkey formally remains a candidate country, its EU membership is not considered a realistic scenario in the near future.
For North Macedonia and other candidate countries, the Turkish example serves as a reminder that the accession process can take decades. Therefore, Skopje is pushing for a more predictable and politically balanced methodology, under which progress toward the EU would depend primarily on reforms rather than on new bilateral blockages.
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Rising housing and rent prices in Europe are increasingly limiting people’s access to adequate housing and increasing the risk of homelessness, according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)’s annual report, Fundamental Rights Report: Challenges and Achievements in 2025.
According to the FRA, between 2015 and 2024, home prices in the EU rose by an average of 53%, while rents increased by nearly 17%. The agency notes that the housing crisis is becoming not only an economic issue but also a human rights issue, as the right to adequate housing is becoming increasingly inaccessible to vulnerable groups.
“Rising costs are affecting many people and families, as more and more people cannot afford housing and are at risk of becoming homeless,” said FRA Director Sirpa Rautio.
According to an estimate by the European Federation of National Organizations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), cited by the FRA, there were nearly 1.3 million homeless people in the EU in 2025. The agency identifies young people, private-market renters, low-income families, migrants, refugees, and people already on the brink of social exclusion as particularly vulnerable.
The FRA notes that more than two-thirds of EU residents own their homes, yet among those with incomes below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, fewer than half are homeowners. This exacerbates inequality: rising housing prices increase the wealth of property owners but worsen the situation for renters and those without access to mortgages.
The report covers all 27 EU countries, as well as three candidate countries or countries potentially linked to the European integration process—Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia.
The housing crisis is becoming one of the key social challenges for Europe. Rising housing prices are already affecting not only the real estate market, but also demographics, labor mobility, social stability, and trust in public institutions.
From June 1 to 7, 2026, European countries will carry out Operation ROADPOL Two-Wheelers, aimed at intensifying enforcement against two-wheeled vehicles and micromobility devices.
According to ROADPOL’s 2026 plan, inspections will focus on riders of motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, and electric scooters. The organization notes that these road users are among the most vulnerable, and the popularity of two-wheeled vehicles and light electric mobility devices in Europe continues to grow.
During the checks, police will pay attention to the technical condition of vehicles, protective gear, visibility on the road, and driver behavior. In some countries, checks will also target speeding, dangerous maneuvers, cell phone use while driving, tire condition, unauthorized modifications, as well as alcohol and drugs.
Three main categories will be subject to increased scrutiny: motorcycles and mopeds, bicycles, as well as electric scooters and other light electric vehicles.
ROADPOL is conducting this operation for the second year in a row. In 2025, a pilot operation revealed a high level of violations: for example, in Belgium alone, police inspected 420 electric scooters, 611 mopeds, 5,216 bicycles, and 568 motorcycles, identifying 1,118 violations.
The goal of the campaign is not just to issue fines, but to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries on Europe’s roads.
European apricot producers expect a partial recovery in the harvest in 2026 following a poor season in 2025, according to an industry forecast by Europech.
According to European industry estimates, apricot production in Europe in 2026 could reach about 505,000 tons, which is approximately 6% more than in 2025 and 4% higher than the 2020–2024 average. At the same time, market participants note that harvest potential remains uneven across countries and regions.
Weather was the key factor of the season. In 2026, there were no large-scale destructive frosts in Europe; however, the return of cold weather in late March and early April affected some orchards. Blooming was generally satisfactory, but frequent rains in some areas hampered fruit set. Therefore, northern regions may recover from the low volumes of 2025, while more subdued dynamics are expected in southern Europe.
For the market, this means an increase in supply, but not a complete elimination of risks. European exporters are already warning that the season could be challenging in terms of sales: as volumes increase, competition will intensify between Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and other producers. This could put pressure on prices, especially in the fresh apricot and processing raw material segments.
In the “Medium- and Long-Term Market” section of the UEB, trading continued for May and June 2026 contracts. In total, eight companies placed offers to buy or sell natural gas: VK Ukrnaftoburinnya, GTS Operator of Ukraine, Ukrtransinvest, and others. During the week, 2,600,000 cubic meters of natural gas were sold in the section. Positions by the Ukrainian GTS Operator were successful. Additionally, heat-generating enterprises, namely Cherkasyteplokomunenergo and the “City Heating Networks” Concern, purchased natural gas on the exchange for the first time to generate electricity. Selling prices ranged from 22,050 to 22,700 UAH/thousand cubic meters excluding VAT, with a downward trend.
On the UEB short-term natural gas market, participants placed bids on the intraday market and the “day-ahead” market. A total of 39 deals were concluded, with a total volume of 2,227 thousand cubic meters.
Last week, European gas prices were affected by conflicting news from the Middle East, while in some markets, M+1 gas contracts experienced significant volatility—reaching 3-week highs and 2-week lows over several consecutive days. Geopolitical turmoil, uncertainty over winter supplies, and growing structural demand mean that conditions could change rapidly.
On Thursday, gas prices fell significantly for most 2026 contracts following news of a potential agreement between the U.S. and Iran to end the conflict and ensure the free flow of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz: Following the successful passage of the Liberian-flagged LNG carrier Mubaraz through the strait, it appears that other loaded LNG carriers have also passed through.
On Friday morning, DA gas prices continued this trend. This decline reflects sentiment regarding comments from various news outlets confirming Iran’s readiness to negotiate regarding its nuclear program—the main source of disagreement between the parties—which increases the likelihood of resolving the conflict. This breaking news was partially offset by reduced flows from Oseberg in Norway two days before the scheduled start of a maintenance period, which strengthened the gas system on May 9.
Short-term prices demonstrated their ability to react quickly to weather conditions and system imbalances. Even outside of peak winter periods, volatility remains a defining feature of the market. A colder May forecast is driving additional demand, while wind power generation in Europe is running below average. The decline in renewable energy production is tightening the power system and forcing greater reliance on gas-fired power plants.
Hedge funds have increased their net long positions in the European gas market, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report. With little change in short positions, the funds added another 26 TWh of long positions, bringing the total net long position to 288 TWh.
EU gas storage is at 34% capacity, but gas is being injected at a rapid pace—approximately 10% per month. This has calmed the market in the short term and helped shore up prices, despite broader risks.
Natural gas imports from Europe stood at 0.11 (+0.3) million cubic meters per day. Imports came from Poland and Hungary. There were no exports from the customs warehouse. Ukraine’s storage facilities held 10.33 (+1.48%) billion cubic meters of natural gas. There were no withdrawals from UGS facilities; instead, injections were observed—about 31 million cubic meters per day.
The population of the European Union will continue to age throughout this century, with the median age of EU residents increasing by 6.6 years to reach 51.5 years by 2100, according to Eurostat data.
According to the study, the EU population will grow from 451.8 million in 2025 to a peak of 453.3 million in 2029, after which it will begin to gradually decline—to 445 million by 2050 and to 398.8 million by 2100. Thus, over the period 2025–2100, the total population decline will amount to 53 million people, or 11.7%.
Eurostat notes that the main consequence of current birth and death rates in the EU is the progressive aging of the population. At the same time, the number of people aged 65 and older in the EU is expected to more than double by the end of the century.
At the same time, the share of young people and the working-age population will decline. The share of people aged 20–64 is projected to decline from 61% of the EU population in 2025 to 49.7% in 2100, and their number will decrease by 63.6 million—from 262 million to 198.4 million.
At the same time, the share of the population aged 65 and older will rise from 12.4% at the start of 2025 to 33.6% in 2100, and the size of this age group will increase by 65.9 million people—to 133.8 million. In essence, this is the only major demographic group that will grow significantly in both relative and absolute terms.
Eurostat emphasizes that the aging process will affect all EU countries, although its pace will vary. The most significant increase in the median age of the population is expected in Malta, Cyprus, Ireland, Luxembourg, Lithuania, and Poland.
