North Macedonia accepts agreement with Bulgaria, a first step towards EU candidacy

Published on: 07/16/2022 – 21:59 In North Macedonia, the government announced on Saturday that it had accepted a compromise to settle its dispute with Bulgaria. The North Macedonian Prime Minister hailed a “historic step”, which will make it possible to open negotiations for accession to the European Union. The government of North Macedonia has accepted the compromise allowing the opening of negotiations for accession to the European Union, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski announced on Saturday July 16 in Skopje, welcoming a “historic step”. This compromise was intended to settle the historic dispute with Bulgaria which was blocking the opening of negotiations for North Macedonia’s accession to the European Union. It was prepared under the French Presidency of the EU which has just ended. Dimitar Kovacevski, speaking to the press on Saturday after the government meeting, saw in this decision “a historic step”. “We are one step away from the first intergovernmental meeting (with the EU) which will finally, after 17 years, mark the start of North Macedonia’s negotiations with the EU,” said the Prime Minister. “From today, we will move forward towards the EU in an accelerated way”, added Dimitar Kovacevski.>> See also: EU accession: the young people of North Macedonia, between hopes and disappointmentsAfter the vote, MPs unfurled a North Macedonian flag and a European Union flag in the parliament hall. protect the language and identity of North Macedonians. “France will stand alongside North Macedonia”, Macron promises The decision of Skopje was unanimously welcomed by Brussels, in particular by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the head of EU diplomacy Joseph Borell.”A crucial step for North Macedonia (…) which paves the way for an intergovernmental meeting next week”, for his part, wrote the president of the European Council Charles Michel on Twitter.”By voting sovereignly today today in favor of the proposal made by France at the end of its presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Macedonian Parliament is once again making the resolute choice of Europe”, noted French President Emmanuel Macron. “France will stand alongside North Macedonia during the first intergovernmental conference which will open a historic phase in its process of joining the Union,” he added on Twitter. By voting sovereignly today in favor of the proposal made by France at the end of its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Macedonian Parliament is once again making the resolute choice of Europe. — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron ) July 16, 2022 The opposition denounces “a betrayal of Macedonia”The main opposition party, the VMRO-DPMNE of the nationalist right, lambasted on Saturday the decision of the government, dominated by the SDSM (left). that they (the SDSM government, editor’s note) have accepted is a betrayal of Macedonia and the Macedonian people. This is a complete bulgarization and assimilation of Macedonia,” the VMRO said in a statement. According to the compromise on the table, prepared under the French presidency of the EU which has just ended, Skopje must in particular undertake to modify its Constitution to include Bulgarians in the recognized ethnic groups and to “implement” a 2017 friendship treaty aimed at eradicating speeches of hatred.>> Read also: Enlargement of the EU: stop or else? This task is proving delicate because a majority of two thirds of the 120 deputies is required, which is not currently the case in view of the fierce opposition from the VMRO-DPMNE. North Macedonia has been blocked since 2005 in the antechamber of the EU. Greece had first vetoed it until 2018, before Sofia blocked the file in 2020 against the backdrop of ancient historical and cultural disputes. Bulgaria prevented the launch of negotiations with Skopje, but also with Tirana, the two candidacies being bound by the EU. Sofia finally lifted her veto on June 24, under certain conditions. With AFP