North Macedonia’s conservative Prime Minister, Hristijan Mickoski, expressed frustration over reports of a new hurdle in the country’s EU accession bid due to a dispute with neighboring Bulgaria. Mickoski criticized the EU for attempting to dictate terms and insisted on no further delays in membership talks.
Recent reports suggested that EU ambassadors decided to separate North Macedonia’s accession process from Albania’s, indicating different tracks or time frames for the two countries. The European Commission spokesperson did not confirm this separation but emphasized the need for both countries to meet relevant criteria for negotiations to begin.
The history, language, and cultural dispute with Bulgaria delayed North Macedonia’s bid, with the previous government’s attempt to insert references to a Bulgarian minority in the constitution failing. Mickoski’s new government now insists on Bulgaria’s approval before making any changes.
The opposition party criticized the government for the setback, calling it a disaster affecting future generations. North Macedonia overcame a similar name dispute with Greece in 2018, highlighting the complexities of EU accession in the Balkans.
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