Is Portugal part of the European Union or not? Countries included in the EU. Possible candidates for membership

One of the largest political and economic unions is the European Union. It was founded quite a long time ago; today it includes only 28 different countries.

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This is why it is quite difficult to obtain an EU visa; the list of participating countries is gradually growing.

What it is

The EU is an amalgamation of a number of different regions. At the moment, in 2020, this association includes 28 different states.

That is why you need to familiarize yourself with the current list in advance. Since this list is updated every year. The main goal is regional integration.

This union is consolidated, including at the documentary level. The current normative document is the Maastricht Treaty - it was formulated and adopted by the majority in 1992.

As of 2020, the EU zone includes countries with a total population of about 500 million people. The total gross product of all countries that are members of the EU is 23%.

In monetary terms, this is approximately 21.6 trillion. dollars. This union develops general directives in the sphere of the political and judicial system.

There is also a common economic space and its own defense policy. The main feature of the EU is that this association simultaneously has several features:

  • interstateism;
  • supranationality.

There are simultaneously several different bodies that interact with various states and regulate in this area.

At the moment, the main such bodies are the following:

  • Council of the European Union – the name Council of Ministers is also applied to this body;
  • EU Court of Justice;
  • Chamber of Accounts, Central Bank;
  • parliament.

Parliamentarians are elected every 5 years by EU residents. Initially, this union included only 6 states.

These are Belgium, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, France, and the Netherlands. Over time, the number of countries that are members of this union has increased significantly.

In addition to the regions that are directly included in this union, there are also those that have carried out the association.

It is important to note that the requirements for entering this union are quite serious. A special agreement is required. You will definitely need to pay quite significant contributions to the EU budget.

Joining the union is possible only if a particular country meets all the Copenhagen criteria. These were adopted in 1993, at a meeting in the city of Copenhagen.

It was approved in 1995. The main criteria that such a state must meet:

  • all generally accepted principles are observed;
  • there is a competitive economy;
  • there is a commitment to the common values ​​of the EU - these are published in the relevant documents.

On the territory of these states there is one currency system - the euro is used. It is a payment unit that is used in all EU countries.

It is important to understand that its presence is mandatory in a country that is part of the EU. Moreover, according to the legislation of the union, it is prohibited to have your own currency.

There are certain disadvantages of joining the EU, as well as advantages. Moreover, if possible, you need to carefully understand all of them yourself.

Initially, in the middle of the 20th century, a common economic space was formed for the sale of coal and steel between states.

But over time, economic cooperation in all areas began to grow more and more. As a result, the need arose to carry out an integration procedure.

It should be noted that this process is associated with the achievement of certain agreements. They are formatted accordingly.

Greece joined the EU relatively recently. At the same time, Great Britain left. The reasons for this are economic, as well as many others.

It is important to note that the EU also has a common area in terms of the movement of all citizens. Countries that are surrounded on all sides by EU countries are in a special position.

In this case, they are provided with simple passage through the territory of other states. Citizens of, for example, Luxembourg can obtain a visa without any difficulties.

The list of EU countries includes a fairly wide range. Moreover, obtaining an EU visa is quite complicated and requires the preparation of a wide range of documents.

You will need to read them all carefully. This will avoid many difficulties and problems. Separately, it is worth noting the issue of collecting documents for obtaining a visa.

Today it is necessary to prepare a fairly wide list. The accession of other countries to the EU has certain subtleties.

Which states are included in the association?

The EU zone includes a fairly wide range of states. These are not only large ones (Germany, Italy), but also small ones - Croatia. The boundaries on the map are marked quite accurately.

But at the same time, there are a number of different zones that, for a number of reasons, are not part of the EU. But they border on it on all sides.

As of 2020, the European Union includes the following states:

Country name State capital EU accession date
Austria Vein 1995
Belgium Brussels 2007
Bulgaria Sofia 2007
Hungary Budapest 2004
Great Britain London 1973
Greece Athens 1981
Germany Berlin 1957
Denmark Copenhagen 1973
Italy Rome 1957
Ireland Dublin 1973
Spain Madrid 1986
Cyprus Nicosia 2004
Luxembourg Luxembourg 1957
Latvia Riga 2004
Lithuania Vilnius 2004
Malta Valletta 2004
Netherlands Amsterdam 1957
Portugal Lisbon 1986

In addition to those indicated above, this list also includes many other states. The years of entry vary significantly due to the gradual expansion of this zone.

But it should be noted that the process of joining the EU itself has certain subtleties and features. In addition to the above states, the zone includes the following countries as full members:

  • Poland;
  • Romania;
  • Slovenia and Slovakia;
  • France and Finland;
  • Croatia;
  • Czech Republic, Estonia and Sweden.

It should be noted that a common area with the EU in some cases is actually not beneficial to the country that joins.

For example, goods for sale and deliveries to other countries must meet fairly stringent requirements.

Not all countries correspond to these. This issue needs to be carefully considered. Because this is the only way to prevent various difficulties and problematic issues. It is worth working out all the questions in advance.

In addition to the official members of this union, there are a number of states that are applicants or potential candidates for membership.

The list of official candidates includes:

  • Albania;
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina;
  • Kosovo;
  • Macedonia;
  • Serbia;
  • Türkiye;
  • Montenegro.

A fairly significant number of states have signed an association agreement with the EU, but this is only the first step in joining this zone.

You need to carefully familiarize yourself with all the nuances and subtleties of the entry procedure. The list of such potential candidates includes the following:

  • Algeria;
  • Georgia and Egypt;
  • Israel and Jordan;
  • Canada, Lebanon;
  • Morocco;
  • Moldova;
  • Mexico;
  • Tunisia and Ukraine.

The process of preparing for entry has a number of features. Moreover, all such issues will need to be worked out in advance.

This is the only way to avoid many difficulties and problematic situations. Separately, it will be necessary to dwell on the issue of requirements, the fulfillment of which is mandatory for member countries.

In return, those who join the EU receive a number of benefits. For example, the absence of duties when transporting goods across borders between countries.

Requirements for candidates for entry

A special regulatory document establishes a special list of requirements for states that plan to join the EU.

At the moment, the main requirements include primarily the following:

If these requirements are met, then the state has the right to apply for accession to the EU.

This will be only the first step towards joining; it is designated as a consultation one. In this case, the state will be a candidate for accession to the EU.

Next comes the negotiation stage, which involves discussing the terms of entry. If all discussions are completed, there are no difficulties or difficulties - the process of admission to the EU is carried out.

Prospects for Adoption

The EU's development prospects are quite significant. At the moment, the main advantages of being a member of this supranational association are:

  • ease of movement of citizens between countries;
  • common, single currency, economic space;
  • absence of any difficulties associated with crossing the border by car;
  • Member countries can count on fairly large loans at relatively low rates.

The main idea when creating the European Union (EU, European Union) in 1951 (then the European Coal and Steel Community) was to organize a single platform for trade and economic cooperation between 6 states without the risk of military action from each other. The European Union itself was legally established when the Maastricht Treaty was signed by 12 states in 1992. Countries within the EU are independent, but are subject to common laws regarding education, health care, pensions, justice and other systems.

Definition and objectives of the European Union

The European Union is a unique organization that integrates European states that have signed an accession treaty with the goal of improving the lives of their citizens in all spheres of public life.

Goals of EU activities in different areas:

  1. Human rights and freedoms:
  • promoting the preservation of peace and welfare of peoples;
  • ensuring citizens freedom, security and legality;
  • promoting and protecting one’s interests in relations with other countries.
  1. Economy:
  • creation of a common internal market;
  • maintaining healthy competition;
  • socially oriented market economy;
  • promoting employment;
  • social progress;
  • improving the quality of the natural environment;
  • scientific and technical progress.
  1. Social sphere:
  • combating discrimination, including gender discrimination;
  • social protection of the population;
  • ensuring justice;
  • protection of children's rights.

If the founding countries of the EU were aimed mainly at creating a common market for steel and coal, which would solve the problems of employment in these industries and increase production efficiency, today the aspirations of the European Union have expanded significantly.

The European Union is called upon to ensure maximum cohesion and solidarity of the Commonwealth countries in terms of economic development, territorial organization and social order.

EU member states are obliged to respect the richness and diversity of each other's national cultures, as well as to ensure the protection of objects of pan-European cultural heritage.

List of EU countries for 2020

Since the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, the European Union has been actively developing: the number of participating countries is increasing, a single European currency is being introduced, and changes are being made to treaties. To find out how many countries there are in the EU in 2020, you need to analyze the number of countries that joined the 12 EU states after 1992:

  • 1995 – plus 3 countries (Austria, Finland, Sweden);
  • 2004 – plus 10 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Malta);
  • 2007 – plus 2 countries (Bulgaria, Romania);
  • 2020 – plus 1 country (Croatia).

Thus, the number of countries in the EU in 2020 is 28.

overdue loans, unpaid housing and communal services receipts, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2018; we recommend finding out information about the presence of debt using the proven service nevylet.rf

Speaking about which countries are part of the EU, in addition to those listed above, we will name the following:

  • Germany;
  • Belgium;
  • Italy;
  • Luxembourg;
  • Netherlands;
  • France;
  • Great Britain;
  • Denmark;
  • Ireland;
  • Greece;
  • Spain;
  • Portugal.

A standardized system of laws has been adopted on the territory of the European Union countries, a common market has been created, and passport control has been abolished within the Schengen zone, which also includes some other European countries that are not members of the EU.

All EU member states are obliged to coordinate their political decisions with other members of the union. The monetary currency of the European Union is the euro. To date, 19 EU countries have introduced the euro into circulation, thereby forming a single eurozone.

Economy of the European Union: features and principles of operation

The economy of the European Union consists of the economic systems of all 28 member countries, the level of which varies significantly. At the same time, weaker states are supported through the effective redistribution of funds and resources between countries. This happens through a common treasury, to which each state contributes its share of funds depending on the volume of gross domestic product (GDP). This policy is one of the main principles of the functioning of the EU (the principle of cohesion or cohesion).

On the one hand, such coordination of the economy promotes social integration in the labor market, prevents and reduces unemployment, eliminates regional imbalances in the European Union, on the other hand, it can lead to aggravation and mutual accusations of donor and recipient countries.

Thus, the most developed EU donor countries, that is, those who invested more funds into the treasury than they received from there, which in 2020 were Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Cyprus, were unhappy that the new members of the Union actually live at their expense. This fact, as well as the increase in cheap labor coming from Eastern European countries, were one of the main reasons for the UK's intention to leave the EU.

The UK's exit from the EU: the situation for 2020

Brexit (from two words: Br - Britain - Britain, exit - exit), which was activated by Great Britain during the referendum on the country's membership in the European Union in 2020, is expected in 2019-2020. There is a two-year transition period, so Britain is still an active member of the EU in 2020.

Possible consequences of Brexit

Globally, Brexit could have a negative impact on official development assistance (ODA) as Britain's contribution to the EU budget decreases and the EU is the world's fourth largest ODA donor.

The UK's financial sector will be damaged by restrictions on freedom of movement and trade following Brexit. Predicted reasons for this: problems in the tourism industry and the outflow of qualified personnel. The result of Brexit could also be a significant reduction in the incomes of the working population - according to experts, the loss of British families will amount to almost one and a half thousand euros annually.

Another possible consequence of Brexit is the separation of Scotland from the UK. As you know, back in 2020, the Scots raised the question of secession from Britain, and the votes for and against were then divided almost equally - 44.7% and 55.3%, respectively. And since Scotland, unlike England, intends to remain in the EU, Brexit may speed up the process of gaining independence.

Causes and consequences of the 2017 referendum in Catalonia

The main reason for modern separatism in Catalonia, one of the richest and most developed regions of Spain, lies in the dissatisfaction of the local government and the population with the distribution of state budget funds. The catch is that Catalonia pays significantly more into the country's general treasury than it gets back.

On October 1, 2020, the Catalan authorities organized and held a referendum on Catalonia’s secession from Spain. However, the country's authorities declared this procedure illegal. Despite the actions of the Spanish police aimed at blocking the vote, the poll still took place. 43% of voters managed to vote, of which 90.2 were in favor of secession, and 7.8% were against.

The Spanish authorities never officially recognized the results of the referendum. Instead, the then-current Parliament of Catalonia was dissolved, the Generalitat led by leader Carles Puigdemont was removed, and early parliamentary elections were scheduled for December.

To date, it has not been precisely determined which party will form the government. However, according to experts, Madrid is committed to an uncompromising resolution of the conflict in favor of preserving the integrity of Spain.

Copenhagen EU accession criteria

Accession to the European Union is not available to all countries. Only states that clearly meet the Copenhagen criteria adopted in 1993 at the EU meeting in Copenhagen can count on membership in the EU. So, within the applicant country they must:

  1. Comply with the principles of a democratic state governed by the rule of law.
  2. Have a market economy capable of competing in the European market.
  3. Recognize the rules and standards of the European Union.

Negotiations are held with a candidate country for accession to the EU, then checks for compliance with the above criteria. Based on a thorough analysis of the data, a decision is made on the possibility (or impossibility) of membership in the Union.

Countries applying to join the European Union

Among those wishing to join the EU are not only developed countries, but also countries with developing economies. In 2020, the following official candidate countries for accession to the EU have been identified:

  1. Türkiye – application since 1987.
  2. Macedonia - 2004.
  3. Montenegro - 2008.
  4. Albania - 2009.
  5. Serbia - 2009.

Accession negotiations are already underway with three of these countries – Turkey, Montenegro and Serbia. All candidates except Turkey have signed an association agreement, which usually precedes EU membership.

And finally, the most interesting thing is the restriction of travel abroad for debtors. It is the status of the debtor that is easiest to “forget” when getting ready for your next vacation abroad. The reason may be overdue loans, unpaid housing and communal services receipts, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2020; we recommend finding out information about the presence of debt using the proven service nevylet.rf

Polish influence on the political, economic and cultural life of Europe is quite large. At the same time, not all ordinary people know details about this country. Many of those who are going there to study, work or just as a tourist are interested in whether Poland is part of the European Union or not.

More about the European Union

To begin with, we should briefly say what this organization is. So, the EU is an association of sovereign states that have developed for themselves certain common rules in the sphere of economics, politics and other aspects of international life. Many laws and other legislative acts are also coordinated and work to pursue unified policies in areas such as industry, communications, agriculture, trade relations, judicial policy, cultural exchange, education, labor market and many more.

On a note! The EU even holds general elections, including to the European Parliament and other supranational authorities.

Participating countries

Some states joined this association earlier, some later, and some even more recently. Today the following countries are members of the EU:

The UK still formally remains a member of the euro, but after the well-known referendum, the so-called “Brexit” process was launched, as a result of which the country should leave the European Union.

It is important to know! The EU should not be confused with the eurozone, which is an international monetary union within which 19 countries use the euro as their national currency.

In addition, the Schengen Agreement is also another association. Schengen involves the interaction of a number of countries in matters of visa policy, as well as border crossings (their actual elimination). Some people who do not fully understand the situation may confuse all these concepts. And, in the meantime, they should be separated, since all of these are different things. To be fair, it should be noted that to a large extent these organizations are connected with each other, and their member countries “overlap” in many ways, that is, they are simultaneously members of all three, or at least two.

Today there are several candidate countries for membership (Serbia, Turkey, Montenegro, Macedonia). However, they all have completely different perspectives.

Poland membership

Today Poland is a member of the European Union. She joined it on May 1, 2004, when another expansion of this organization took place. At the same time, several other countries, mainly Eastern European, received membership. Despite the fact that accession to the EU was greeted with optimism by many, the country has some difficulties in relations with other member states. This applies in particular to certain trade aspects, immigration, the refugee situation and other issues. Despite the fact that a number of countries have opposed and continue to oppose certain aspects of Polish policy, there is no talk of its leaving the EU.

In addition, Poland is a member of the Schengen Agreement, which provides for the harmonized issuance of visas valid throughout its territory. Along with this, national visas are also retained. For example, they can be issued to temporary and permanent employees who arrive there to work. The Poles themselves can work freely throughout the European Union, as well as in a number of other countries, for example, Norway.

There are only three and a half weeks left until May 1 - the day of European Union enlargement. The “Unified European Family” will almost double in size. EU members will be Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Estonia. There are ten states in total. But even after this, there will still be many countries in Europe that are not members of the EU. Moreover, these are not only economically underdeveloped or politically unstable countries, not only dwarf states like Andorra and Monaco, but also, for example, quite prosperous Norway, Iceland, and finally Switzerland.

The Swiss themselves jokingly call their country an island. After all, apart from tiny Liechtenstein, the “Alpine republic” is surrounded on all sides by EU states: in the north - Germany, in the west - France, in the south - Italy and in the east - Austria.

Just recently, the majority of Swiss residents were categorically against joining the European Union. Evidence of this is the results of the referendum that took place three years ago. However, recently many Swiss have been overcome by doubts: did they make the right choice then? More details about the current sentiments of the inhabitants of the “Alpine republic” will be discussed in the material prepared by Joachim Schubert-Ankenbauer.

It seemed that on March 4, 2001, all the i’s were dotted. As it became clear after summing up the results of the referendum, three quarters of the Swiss did not want to join the “single European family,” that is, the European Union. So it is not surprising that in the Swiss parliamentary elections last fall, none of the major parties decided to make joining the EU the main theme of their election campaign, says political scientist Claude Longchamp:

For the public, the relevance of this topic has lost its former meaning. Switzerland began to cooperate very closely with the European Union after signing bilateral agreements with it, but the country is still not formally a member of the EU. This is exactly what the Swiss have always dreamed of.

Agreements regulating the relocation of EU residents to Switzerland and the procedure for transit of freight transport have already entered into force. The issue of signing the second package of documents is being discussed. However, critics point out that it will not be possible to solve all existing problems with the help of bilateral treaties. In particular, Germany recently decided to restrict flights over the southern regions of the country in order to reduce aircraft noise levels. This measure directly affects Swiss interests. After all, the country's main airport in the suburbs of Zurich is located only 12 kilometers from the German border.

By the way, not all is well at the border itself either. Switzerland is not part of the Schengen zone. Until recently, this did not prevent residents of the “Alpine republic” from visiting Germany and other EU countries completely freely. However, now the situation has changed. Swiss citizens still do not need a visa to enter Germany. But after tightening the rules, German customs and border guards now search and check the passports of all people crossing the Swiss-German border. That's 700 thousand people every day.

As a result, there were often queues at checkpoints at first. Crossing the border now takes much longer than before. There is even talk of making a passport stamp mandatory again when crossing the border.

As a result, Switzerland itself is now not averse to joining the Schengen agreement. This was also stated by the head of the Swiss Department of Finance, Hans-Rudolf Merz. True, there is one “but”. Bern insists on maintaining the secrecy of banking transactions. The European Union demands that Switzerland abandon this principle. This, according to EU countries, will prevent the export of illegally acquired capital to Switzerland. Then, they say, you are welcome to the “Schengen zone”.

But Brussels’ intention to introduce duties on the re-import of goods from the “Alpine republic” caused even greater indignation in Bern. The adoption of such measures is a serious test for the Swiss economy. The European Union made concessions, promising to postpone, but not cancel, the decision to levy duties. In response to Bern's indignation, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, during negotiations with the Swiss government, said, in particular:

We are discussing many issues that were decided not by the Federal Republic of Germany, but by the European Union as a whole. And I ask you to understand that in the future the number of such decisions will increase rather than decrease.

It becomes obvious that it will not be possible to resolve all conflict situations with the help of bilateral treaties alone. Thus, even the agreement on the relocation of EU residents to Switzerland already needs to be revised in view of the upcoming expansion of the European Union. Otherwise, a stream of cheap labor from Eastern Europe will pour into the labor market of the “Alpine republic”.

Nevertheless, politicians are in no hurry to achieve the Confederation’s entry into the European Union. Especially after the Swiss People's Party achieved significant success in the parliamentary elections last fall, and its leader Christoph Blocher, who was extremely critical of the EU, entered the government.

But the mood of the residents of the “Alpine republic” has changed somewhat. According to survey data published this Sunday, seven out of ten Swiss people now have no intention of protesting their country's accession to the European Union in the long term. Answering a question about the problems that Switzerland is currently experiencing, one of the residents of the country said:

Everything will be resolved by itself after Switzerland becomes a member of the European Union. It's simple. And someday it will happen.

Interestingly, the Swiss cantons are friendlier towards the EU than the government in Bern. At a meeting at the end of March, most cantonal leaders said that the policy of concluding bilateral agreements with the European Union was leading to a dead end.

We put it this way: in the long term, most cantons could see EU membership as their strategic goal,

Said, for example, the representative of the canton of Basel, Hans-Martin Tschudi. So the discussion about Switzerland joining the European Union may flare up with renewed vigor in the near future. It is possible that the expansion of the European Union scheduled for May 1 will provide an additional impetus.

Among other highly developed European countries that are not members of the EU, Norway and Iceland stand out. Unlike Switzerland, these countries have never adopted the principle of “eternal neutrality.” Both Norway and Iceland have been NATO members since the founding of the Alliance. It’s just that the residents of these countries, until recently, believed that it was better and more profitable for them not to join the European Union. Thus, in Norway, over the past three decades, two referendums have already taken place on the issue of joining the EU. And both times – in 1972 and 1994. – Norwegians spoke out against joining the “single European family.”

However, another referendum on this issue may soon be held in Norway - the third in a row. This was recently stated by Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bunnevik. However, he, however, considered it necessary to add:

I don't want this to be taken as if everything is already decided. I have not yet changed my point of view; now there is simply no urgent need to make any decision on this matter. But since a lot is changing in the EU now, we simply need to be aware of what is happening in order to know which EU we will have to build relations with after the elections in 2005.

Until recently, Kjell Magne Bunnewik was considered one of the most ardent opponents of joining the European Union. In 2001, when he took office as head of cabinet, no one had any doubt about his negative attitude towards Norway's possible EU membership. Thus, the prime minister often reminded that if the country joins the European Union, people involved in agriculture and fishing will undoubtedly suffer. What made Bunnevik change his position?

According to the Prime Minister himself, two circumstances played a major role. First, the admission of 10 new member countries to the EU. Secondly, the need to strengthen the European Union as a counterweight to the United States in world politics and economics.

However, according to experts, there is one more circumstance that Kjell Magne Bunnevik chose to remain silent about. We are talking about public opinion research showing the growing popularity of the idea of ​​joining the European Union. According to recent polls, two-thirds of the kingdom's population are in favor of Norway joining the EU. More than ever before.

Unlike Norway or Switzerland, the Balkan republics (if they had their way) would join the EU tomorrow... or better yet, today. The trouble is that no one is waiting for them in the European Union yet. The political situation in the Balkans remains too unstable; the economies of the former socialist republics are relatively poorly developed. Nevertheless, the prospect of, say, countries such as Croatia, Albania and Macedonia joining the European Union seems very real. Maybe not now, maybe not in 2007, when, as expected, the “single European family” will be replenished by Romania and Bulgaria, but someday this will still happen. The first step has already been taken. Two weeks ago, the Macedonian government sent an application to Ireland (the country currently presiding over the governing bodies of the EU) to begin negotiations on accession to the European Union. Details - in the message Zoran Jordanovski.

It was planned that the ceremony of handing over the official application to join the EU would take place in Dublin on February 26. However, on this day a tragic event occurred: as a result of a plane crash, Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski and eight other people who were on board the plane with him died. The ceremony was postponed, and the government delegation led by Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski urgently returned to Skopje.

At the funeral of the deceased president, European Commission President Romano Prodi said:

We are calm about the political future of your country. Boris Trajkovski's dream of Macedonia becoming a full member of a progressive and peaceful Europe must come true.

Unlike Switzerland or Norway, there are no ardent opponents of the country's accession to the EU among the Macedonian political establishment.

The future of Macedonia and the future of the entire region depends on integration into European and transatlantic structures.

Representatives of all opposition parties agree with the statement of the head of the Macedonian Foreign Ministry, Ilinka Mitreva.

But Macedonia now has many problems, without solving which, it is not worth even thinking about joining the European Union. Corruption is rampant in the country, and the fight against organized crime, money laundering, trafficking in women and drug trafficking is not effective enough. The state has still failed to reform the law enforcement system and ensure the independence of the judiciary.

The economy is in a deplorable state. Many enterprises inherited from the socialist past have not been operating for a long time. As a result, one in three adults in Macedonia today is unemployed. The average salary in the country is 175 euros. 30 percent of the population barely make ends meet. Needless to say, achieving generally accepted EU standards will not be easy. Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski is also aware of this:

We cannot be content with a small level of economic growth, because (realistically assessing the situation) this is not enough to bring the country to a qualitatively different level of development. We need to take a sharp leap forward. This requires investment. Our own capabilities are limited, so we rely on foreign capital. To do this, we need to demonstrate our capabilities and the openness of the country in order to thus attract foreign investors. In the economic and trade spheres - as well as in any other spheres of life - it is very important to create an atmosphere of trust.

How successful the measures taken by the current Macedonian government will be will become clear in the coming years...



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