Bulgarian MEPs delay vote on North Macedonia's EU accession report

Published connected 04/06/2025 - 16:48 GMT+2•Updated 17:48

The European Parliament's Committee connected Foreign Affairs connected Wednesday delayed voting connected a study evaluating North Macedonia's advancement towards accession to nan EU.

The study was group to beryllium voted connected alongside files for different countries vying for EU membership. While nan reports for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Georgia were adopted, North Macedonia’s was blocked owed to a last-minute disagreement among governmental groups.

The MEP responsible for penning nan report, Austrian Thomas Waitz from nan Greens/EFA group, announced nan determination to hold nan ballot pursuing a petition from nan European People’s Party (EPP), nan largest group successful nan Parliament.

The EPP withdrew its support nan time earlier nan scheduled vote, aft initially agreeing to its content, sources from nan Parliament told Euronews. This near nan study without nan required mostly for support and near Waitz pinch nary action but to request a postponement.

The EPP’s alteration of mind was pushed by its Bulgarian members, who managed to rally nan full group. “The study mentions nan ‘recognition of Macedonian personality and language’, which could lead to misunderstanding and incorrect interpretation. We want much clarity connected this point,” EPP MEP Andrey Kovatchev told Euronews.

Kovatchev’s party, Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, is astatine likelihood pinch caller remarks made by North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski astir nan report. “He stated that this study refers to ‘centuries-old Macedonian personality and nan unsocial Macedonian language’, which we dispute. Although this is not written successful nan report, we request much clarity connected this point.”

The personality conflict betwixt North Macedonia and Bulgaria has agelong been an obstacle connected Skopje’s way to joining nan EU. Essentially, nan Bulgarian authorities believes that North Macedonia’s connection shares communal roots pinch Bulgarian, a declare North Macedonians reject.

In 2022, nan EU included Bulgaria’s demands successful nan conclusions related to North Macedonia’s accession, to flooded Sofia’s veto connected nan talks.

To move guardant pinch negotiations, North Macedonia was required to amend its Constitution to see nan Bulgarian minority—something that has yet to beryllium finalized.

While North Macedonia now has “an fantabulous and eager betterment agenda” and “demonstrates committedness to EU integration and alignment pinch EU policies”, according to nan draught report, personality and connection stay contentious issues successful bilateral relations pinch Bulgaria.

“Some Bulgarian MEPs person taken this accession advancement study hostage for their home nationalistic agenda,” Waitz said successful a connection to Euronews.

Accusations of intimidation

Waitz besides denounced intimidation and threatening messages successful nan days starring up to nan planned vote, which he considers portion of “a smear run designed to slow down North Macedonia's EU accession process.”

“The relentless attacks against maine by parts of nan Bulgarian far-right are wholly unacceptable,” he told Euronews.

Waitz’s agency provided Euronews pinch grounds that his telephone number was leaked connected societal networks, on pinch respective fierce messages he received astir nan report. These messages impeach him of being influenced aliases corrupted by North Macedonia’s authorities successful drafting nan report.

“I worked tirelessly for a well-balanced and impartial study connected nan antiauthoritarian advancement of this country. All governmental groups successful nan European Parliament were actively progressive successful nan negotiations,” he said, denying nan accusations.

The ballot connected nan study is now expected to beryllium rescheduled for nan 24th of June.