Athens, 7 November 2022 (MIA) – Skopje did what Europe asked from it and as soon as they did it, we stopped them instead of speeding up the process, says European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, MIA reports from Athens. In an interview with Greek daily Kathimerini, Schinas says North Macedonia did everything it was required to do but was first stopped by France ahead of the presidential elections and then again by Bulgaria. “North Macedonia paid the price of government instability in Bulgaria. This is a mistake. Although there is an interpretation, the delay as a whole is a mistake,” says Schinas. On his recent visit to the Balkans, Schinas says he saw that people and the public opinion are “unconditionally inclined to European integration” and that “leaderships are trying to explain the delay in the accession process.” “A third very important thing I perceived is that the political ‘clock’ of enlargement is clearly late compared to the social clock. While people want to join Europe, the progress of negotiations is not proportional. There is a time lapse that has intensified with the events in Ukraine,” says Schinas. On migration, the EC Vice-President says there is an existing problem with the Balkan route, with waves of illegal migrants via the Balkans tripling, while adding that the situation “is starting to heat up”. “We need Frontex everywhere, and it will soon be deployed at the border between Serbia and North Macedonia.,” notes Schinas.