North Macedonia PM Admits Bulgaria Hurdle, Promises to Finish EU 'Homework'

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, has said his government will focus first on meeting the country’s outstanding obligations linked to its European integration, with an emphasis on reforms.

According to the prime minister, once Skopje completes what he described as its “homework”, it will then be up to the European Union to decide whether the accession process continues on the basis of common EU criteria or becomes subject to bilateral conditions.

He acknowledged that North Macedonia’s path toward EU membership depends on the agreement of all 27 member states, including Bulgaria. While admitting that relations with Sofia remain problematic, he stressed that the government’s priority is to conclude all open issues under the Reform Program and implement every reform that has been planned.

“When this work is done, the decision will rest with the 27 EU member states, whether the process is treated as a bilateral matter or assessed under the same standards applied to all countries that have joined the European Union,” the prime minister said.

In June 2022, North Macedonia accepted the so called French proposal, which received approval from all EU member states as well as the parliament in Skopje. As a result, there have formally been no bilateral disputes between Bulgaria and North Macedonia since that time.

Under the agreed Negotiating Framework, however, the opening of accession talks requires several steps. These include the inclusion of Bulgarians in the preamble of North Macedonia’s constitution, full implementation of the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria, and compliance with the two additional protocols attached to that agreement.