Germany's Scholz sees new mood within EU on Western Balkans accession

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday he detected a new, more positive mood among European Union members on the prospect of Western Balkans countries joining the bloc compared to a few years ago, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"I am quite sure that a new inclusive movement has arisen and that the scepticism that was formulated a few years ago by several member states has now mutated into a willingness to actively push this forward," Scholz told reporters after a summit on the potential accession of the six Balkan countries.