Macedonia is "back on track" with reforms needed to join the European Union, but must fully overcome a political crisis to keep positive momentum, the bloc's executive said Tuesdayin a key progress report, dpa reported. EU governments have agreed that they would consider by June whether to open talks for accession with Macedonia - a move that had been hailed at the time of its announcement as a breakthrough, after Greece for years blocked any progress due to a conflict over the name Macedonia. But political tensions in the country then threatened Macedonia's EU aspirations, as Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's authorities clashed with the opposition and media in parliament. Subsequent protests and a political boycott were overcome ahead of March's local elections, thanks to an EU-brokered agreement.
