North Macedonia attracts attention as a Balkan country that has taken important steps towards entry into the European Union (EU). The country, which has adopted the goal of EU membership since 2000, has carried out both political and economic reforms in this process. North Macedonia’s relations with the EU gained a new momentum, especially in 2019, during which the name issue continued, and after the Prespa transaction with Greece.
Invitation to membership negotiations is a continuation of the country’s determination towards European countries and its search for stability in the region. One of the biggest goals of North Macedonia in this process is to achieve stronger compliance with the values and norms offered by the EU and through this way to further increase economic development, democratic standards and social welfare. However, the membership process is not just about technical negotiations, it is also linked to the country’s internal political dynamics, its relations with its neighbors and the difficulties in the EU’s expansion policy.
North Macedonia’s EU membership process has been significantly challenged by its disputes with its neighbor Bulgaria. While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed North Macedonia’s reform efforts, she also underlined that constitutional changes are mandatory for EU membership.[i] It was especially emphasized that the Bulgarian minority should be included in the constitution, but the conservative government led by Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski resists these changes. Mickoski did not accept the conditions put forward regarding the constitutional changes, arguing that Bulgaria should approve the membership of North Macedonia. This situation has blocked the country’s EU membership process and strained relations.
It is also understood that von der Leyen tried to reassure other countries in the region about the expansion perspective during her Western Balkan tour. Russia’s attack on Ukraine has increased fears of instability across Europe and accelerated the efforts of the Western Balkan countries to join the EU. These difficulties in North Macedonia’s EU membership process have affected not only this country but also other countries in the Western Balkans. In this context, the EU’s expansion policies in the region have become an important element both in ensuring regional stability and in the EU’s long-term expansion strategy.
Especially the Bulgarian minority issue, although it is seen as a technical issue that needs to be solved by constitutional amendments, has had a deep impact on political and social relations. Prime Minister Mickoski, in his meetings with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, expressed the public’s disappointment due to the deadlock in his country’s membership process.[ii] Although North Macedonia made important symbolic changes such as the country name, flag and paper money, it could not progress towards EU membership. Mickoski emphasized that it is unacceptable for his country to constantly face new ultimatums.
It has been stated that in order for the EU membership process to continue, Bulgarians must be counted among the founding peoples in the constitution. However, the North Macedonian government requests unconditional support from Bulgaria before making this change. While the Mickoski government resisted constitutional changes, the future of the negotiations faced uncertainty. In this context, the solution proposal called the “Plus French Proposal” envisages that constitutional amendments will be made now and will only come into force when EU negotiations are completed.[iii] With this solution proposal, North Macedonia requests guarantees from the EU in order not to encounter any other obstacles during the negotiations.[iv]
However, there continues to be uncertainty about whether this proposal will be successful. Considering the fact that North Macedonia’s EU membership process is a long diplomatic and reform process, these disagreements with Bulgaria seem difficult to resolve. Although the Mickoski government is looking for solutions that will take the negotiations forward, it is still not clear whether these efforts will yield results. Although the EU’s “cash in exchange of reforms” strategy for the Western Balkans is a promising model for countries such as North Macedonia, political tensions with Bulgaria undermine this progress.
The tension between North Macedonia and Bulgaria was not only limited to constitutional amendments, but also manifested itself in strategic infrastructure projects. The transportation project called “Corridor 8” is of vital importance for the integration of North Macedonia into EU trade and transportation networks.[v] However, allegations that Bulgaria did not fulfill its commitments regarding this project have become a new element of tension in the relations between the two countries. Mickoski brought up the issue of shifting the project to other routes if Bulgaria does not fulfill its obligations. While disruptions in such infrastructure projects negatively affect North Macedonia’s EU integration efforts, Bulgaria’s approach that blocks the process causes bigger problems.
Although the EU offers financial incentives to support the reform efforts of countries such as North Macedonia within the scope of its expansion policy in the Western Balkans, disagreements between member states create major obstacles in this process.[vi] Countries such as Bulgaria can prevent the progress of negotiations by using their veto rights, and this creates a situation that calls into question the effectiveness of the EU enlargement policy in the Western Balkans. Although North Macedonia continues its reforms, Bulgaria’s approach continues to block the process, as full agreement must be reached among EU members at every stage.
As a result, North Macedonia’s EU membership process has reached a serious impasse due to disagreements with Bulgaria. Constitutional amendments and disruptions in strategic projects make the country’s EU membership bid difficult, and Bulgaria’s attitude plays a critical role in blocking the process. Delays in strategic infrastructure projects, especially the Corridor 8 project, further strain the relations between the two countries. Bulgaria’s attitude on this issue directly affects North Macedonia’s reform efforts and the EU membership process and slows down the progress of the process.
Although the, financial support in return for reform, model offered by the EU to the Western Balkan countries has the potential to accelerate the integration of North Macedonia into the EU, political disagreements between member states threaten this progress. North Macedonia’s EU membership process will be directly shaped not only by internal reforms but also by improving relations with neighboring countries. Unless the problems with Bulgaria are resolved, North Macedonia’s goal of full membership in the EU will continue to face serious uncertainty. In this context, such disputes are a great test for the stability of the region and future expansion strategies. In short, North Macedonia’s EU membership journey becomes even more important with the need to develop strategic cooperation and strengthen bilateral relations.
[i] “EU Commission chief urges North Macedonia’s political parties to cooperate on accession push”, AP News, https://apnews.com/article/eu-north-macedonia-balkans-accession-skopje-mickoski-cac7185cc5640ff89f567d4d5973857c, (Date Accession: 24.10.2024).
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Sinisa Jakov Marusic, “North Macedonia PM Voices Frustration Over ‘Humiliating’ EU Accession Demands”, Balkan Insight, https://balkaninsight.com/2024/09/20/north-macedonia-pm-voices-frustration-over-humiliating-eu-accession-demands/, (Date Accession: 24.10.2024).
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Mared Gwyn Jones, “Why renewed tensions with neighbours have stalled North Macedonia’s EU membership bid”, Euronews, https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/09/30/why-renewed-tensions-with-neighbours-have-stalled-north-macedonias-eu-membership-bid, (Date Accession: 24.10.2024).
[vi] Ibid.
