History repeats itself. After one year, Macedonia and Albania are again at a crossroads on the road to the European Union, and it remains to be seen which of the two countries will take which road, together in the same direction towards Brussels or one towards the EU, the other towards the unknown.

If until a year ago Albania was in solidarity with the country after the Bulgarian veto to get a date for negotiations, now there is no doubt that the neighboring country will follow its interests and continue towards Brussels. This is confirmed by the statements of politicians in the region, including Croatian President Zoran Milanović, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, as well as Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani. The first two announced from Sofia that it is possible to separate Macedonia and Albania in the negotiation process with the EU if the country does not fulfill the promised change to the Constitution, i.e. the constitutional amendments that should include the Bulgarians, Croats, Montenegrins, and probably the Jews.

After his recent stay in Brussels, Minister Osmani said that a new path is emerging for the Western Balkans, which is connected above all to the geopolitical moment and Ukraine. According to him, the decision is now in our hands whether we will be part of that path or isolate ourselves, that is, whether Albania will join Serbia and Montenegro, and we will stay with BiH and Kosovo.

– I say this openly. Obviously, for Ukraine there will be a new moment in terms of the European perspective only this year. The Western Balkans cannot be crossed to make that path possible, which means that there will have to be a path here and there. Now it is in our hands whether we will be part of that path or we will isolate ourselves. With that, Albania will join Serbia and Montenegro, we will stay with BiH and Kosovo - said Osmani after his stay in Brussels and the meeting with the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varheji.

The Croatian President Milanovic, who was on an official visit to Bulgaria, announced from Sofia these days and after the meeting with the Bulgarian head of state Rumen Radev, he said that "unfortunately, there is a possibility that Albania and Macedonia will be separated in the negotiation process for joining the EU, because Macedonia has certain conditions which, if he does not fulfill, he will not be able to continue".

In that case, Albania will probably be able to continue the negotiation process on its own.

- Now we will get to the point where, most likely, Macedonia, if it does not make these constitutional changes to which it committed itself, will have to wait for a time when it does so. It is a condition that exists, and which the EU has accepted. Macedonia has signed this condition and must fulfill it - said Milanovic with a comment that all the countries of the region should already be part of the Union.

Just a few days before him, Albanian Prime Minister Rama also spoke from Sofia with a message that his country and Macedonia on the road to the EU should not be considered as a package.

- Today I think that our paths have naturally diverged. Because from the moment a country starts accession negotiations, its path depends on its merits, not politics or geopolitics. At least that's how it is on paper. Well, we know that sometimes, and more and more, what is written on paper does not happen in reality. But I see no reason for us to be kept together anymore. Everyone has their own path - said Rama.

The Croatian president said in Sofia that Albania will probably be able to continue the negotiation process on its own.

"Now we will get to the point where, most likely, Macedonia, if it does not make these constitutional changes to which it committed itself, will have to wait for a time when it does so. It is a condition that exists, and which the EU has accepted. "Macedonia signed this condition and must fulfill it," said Milanovic.

The Croatian president commented that all these countries should already be part of the EU, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia.

That each country, in this case Albania, protects its own interests is not at all strange or unusual, experts say, and it is normal to fight for its own progress.

- The enlargement process implies an individual assessment of the progress of each candidate state, and this is one of the aspects that will be in our favor, once we start the negotiations - Vasko Naumovski, university professor and former vice-prime minister for European affairs, told "Sloboden Pechat" questions.

According to him, until now there were situations in which Macedonia was ahead, and was slowed down due to the insufficient progress of Albania, because we were in a common group. Now, again, Albania will start the negotiations, and the beginning of our negotiations is in question.

- It is logical for Albania to protect its interests and fight for its own progress. Unfortunately, from the leaders of the Europeanization process in the Western Balkans, we remain at the end, without a clear perspective, which is also the reason for the drastic reduction of support for EU entry among our citizens. The only possibility is to intensify the reforms, and at some point in the future to join the rest of the countries that will negotiate with the EU - adds Naumovski.