North Macedonia's EU Accession Bid Faces New Hurdle

Hristijan Mickoski, the leader of the opposition center-right VMRO-DPMNE party celebrates after a news conference in Skopje, North Macedonia, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Citizens voted in North Macedon

North Macedonia's conservative Prime Minister expressed frustration over reports of a potential setback in the country's European Union accession process due to a disagreement with neighboring EU member Bulgaria. The Prime Minister criticized the EU for attempting to dictate terms to North Macedonia and emphasized his reluctance to accept any further delays in membership talks with the 27-nation bloc.

Recent developments indicated that EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels decided to advance Albania's EU accession process independently of North Macedonia's, signaling a potential divergence in their negotiating paths. While the European Commission refrained from confirming the separation of the two countries' paths, it hinted at differing timelines for their accession processes.

The EU initiated membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania in 2022 amid a reassessment of the bloc's enlargement strategy prompted by the conflict in Ukraine. Despite being EU candidates for two decades, the accession talks for both countries had not commenced until recently.

EU ambassadors consider advancing Albania's accession process independently.

North Macedonia's PM criticizes EU for dictating terms in accession talks.

EU hints at differing timelines for North Macedonia and Albania's accession processes.

North Macedonia's accession bid faced a setback due to a dispute with Bulgaria concerning Balkan history, language, and culture. The previous government in Skopje attempted to address the issue by agreeing to include a reference to a Bulgarian ethnic minority in North Macedonia's constitution. However, the lack of parliamentary support hindered the implementation of this change, with the current conservative government insisting on Bulgarian approval of North Macedonia's EU membership before amending the constitution.

The Prime Minister criticized the linkage between his country's EU prospects and Bulgaria's demands, labeling it as a dictate. He expressed reluctance to comply with such conditions, potentially jeopardizing the continuation of negotiations.

North Macedonia's EU aspirations had previously been obstructed by Greece over a historical and heritage dispute, which was resolved in 2018 following North Macedonia's name change. The opposition leader attributed the new setback to the current government, highlighting the potential negative impact on citizens and future generations.