EU member states have requested that North Macedonia adopt constitutional changes as soon as possible to pave the way for negotiations on EU membership.
This message was conveyed to Macedonian authorities by French Secretary of State Laurence Boon, German Minister for Europe Anna Leermann, and Polish Minister for Europe Szymon Szynkowski.
During a visit to Skopje on Monday, the three high-ranking officials of EU member states stated that the EU accession process cannot start or conclude without fulfilling the conditions, primarily through constitutional amendments.
These amendments are necessary for the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in its preamble as a constituent people, as stipulated by what is known as the “French proposal” for resolving the open issues between North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
“The first message is that North Macedonia belongs to the EU family; the second is that the decision is now in your hands; the third message is that this move is now necessary because of the moment that exists in the EU. There will be no new requests or conditions from Bulgaria after the constitutional amendments are completed,” said French official Boon after a meeting with Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Bojan Maricikj.
The German Minister began and concluded her speech in Macedonian to assure the Macedonian authorities, especially the opposition, that the Macedonian language is not at risk and will continue to be recognized as such even after the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in the constitution.
“Our message is clear – we emphasize our support for North Macedonia’s accession to the EU. Now, the door to EU enlargement is open, which requires responsibility and strategic thinking. We support you to continue on the reform path. The constitutional amendments will confirm North Macedonia’s role as a multi-ethnic state, enabling the country to proceed with accession. We call on all political parties to support the constitutional changes; any delay will be to the detriment of citizens. Now is the time for decisions, for responsibility,” said German Minister for Europe Anna Leermann.
European officials have stated that “North Macedonia should seize the turbulent geopolitical period to achieve its goal of integration into the EU”.
“Our message is clear – we want to support North Macedonia on its path to the EU and see it as a full member. Now, it is up to the political structures to complete the constitutional changes. It should be a sovereign decision of the country. Now is the moment; there is no time to wait, as the chance may be lost,” said Polish Minister Szynkowski.
The visit of officials from France, Germany, and Poland comes one week after those of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, who also conveyed messages about fulfilling the conditions for continuing negotiations with the EU.
“I expect all political parties to prioritize the continuation of the success of last year. Let’s adopt the constitutional changes, not return to the waiting room but move forward,” said Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Bojan Maricikj.
However, despite the clear messages from European diplomats, the Macedonian opposition has stated that it will not support the constitutional changes.
They cannot be approved without the votes of the VMRO-DPMNE deputies since the parliamentary majority does not have the two-thirds majority necessary in the Macedonian Parliament.
The VMRO-DPMNE is against these changes, arguing that including the Bulgarian minority in the constitution will not end the “Bulgarian dictatorship” towards the Macedonian people.
