EU Warns North Macedonia: Amend Constitution to Include Bulgarians Before Accession

The European Union has reiterated its warning to North Macedonia about the proposed amendments to its constitution regarding the recognition of Bulgarians, stressing that any delay or conditional approach will not align with the agreement already approved by all 27 EU member states. The head of the EU delegation in Skopje, Michalis Rokas, emphasized in an interview with North Macedonia's state news agency MIA, as reported by BTA, that the proposal for the amendments to take effect only after North Macedonia becomes an EU member is unlikely to be accepted.

Rokas highlighted that the constitutional amendment is a sovereign decision of North Macedonia's government and holds significant importance for the country's European integration. He expressed respect for the government's approach and intentions but pointed out that the process is straightforward and can be expedited. He reaffirmed the EU's overall commitment to supporting North Macedonia's accession.

The EU envoy declined to comment on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's suggestion to mediate negotiations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria. However, he reiterated that the European Council's conclusions from July 2022 clearly state that North Macedonia must implement the constitutional amendments first, which would then allow for the automatic scheduling of the intergovernmental conference to initiate the opening of negotiation clusters with the EU.

In response to concerns about whether the EU would act as a guarantor to ensure Bulgaria does not impose additional conditions if the amendments pass in North Macedonia's parliament, Rokas emphasized the unanimity required in the enlargement process. He noted that every step, from the beginning of negotiations to full membership,...