About: Bulgarian veto
Bulgarian parliament opens the door to the EU for North Macedonia
Bulgarian parliament handed a mandate on Friday (24 June) to the outgoing cabinet of Kiril Petkov to approve a French proposal allowing Sofia to lift its veto on the start of North Macedonia's EU accession talks.
Bulgarian parliament poised to solve North Macedonia conundrum
The foreign affairs committee of the Bulgarian parliament on Thursday (23 June) passed a draft decision approving the French Presidency compromise for Sofia to lift its veto on Skopje to start accession talks, paving the way for the text potentially being approved in plenary on Friday.
French mediation attempt infuriates MPs in Skopje
The French presidency's proposal aimed at lifting the Bulgarian veto shook the Macedonian government after three small parties threatened to leave if the cabinet approved a draft sent to the Bulgarian parliament to end the dispute between Skopje and Sofia.
Bulgarian PM hints at chance to lift the veto, after summit
Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on Thursday (23 June) there was no chance Bulgaria would lift its veto on North Macedonia during this EU summit but hinted a solution could be imminent in the coming days.
Without qualified majority voting EU enlargement has no future
Many believe introducing qualified majority would require an arduous treaty change, but this is not true. If qualified majority is not introduced in the EU enlargement decision-making, the whole process will die, write Srdjan Cvijic and Zoran Nechev.
Petkov bites the bullet as North Macedonia veto rattles Bulgaria
The Bulgarian parliament will make today an attempt to make progress in efforts to lift the country’s veto on North Macedonia starting accession talks. But MPs are also likely to pass a no-confidence vote against the government of Kiril Petkov.
Sofia’s veto on Skopje is ‘a present for Russia’, Borrell says
The EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell put pressure on Sofia on Monday (16 May) to lift its veto over North Macedonia starting EU accession negotiations, by saying that the lack of solution is “a present for Russia”.
The Berlin Wall is yet to fall for Skopje
Until days ago, Bulgaria’s two most powerful men, the President Rumen Radev and the Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, were like-minded politicians, which was good news for the country. Their first clash, over North Macedonia, is less good news, writes Emilia Milcheva.
EU ministers narrowly find common ground on enlargement promises to Western Balkans
European Union governments reaffirmed on Tuesday (14 December) their promise to allow six Balkan countries to one day join the bloc following heated disagreements during negotiations. A year ago, EU governments were unable to agree upon a statement that was...
New Bulgarian PM proposes ‘very fast process’ to lift North Macedonia veto
The new Bulgarian government will propose a "very fast" new process that should help Sofia lift its veto and unlock the start of neighbouring North Macedonia's EU accession negotiations, Bulgaria's new prime minister, Kiril Petkov, has told the Financial Times. The announcement was welcomed by Skopje.
Burned by Bulgaria veto, North Macedonia to ‘act more carefully’ on EU integration narrative, justice minister says
Partially attributing his party’s crushing defeat in the recent municipal elections to the stalling EU accession negotiations, North Macedonia’s justice minister Bojan Marichikj told EURACTIV the government in Skopje would be more careful in the future. The stand-off between Bulgaria...
Kiril Petkov offers preview of new Bulgarian politics in the making
'Change continues’, a new centrist political party in Bulgaria, is seen as the king-maker in a future coalition after the 14 November parliamentary elections. In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, its co-leader Kiril Petkov gave a preview of his party policies.
Sofia asks Skopje to stop the ‘erasure’ of Bulgarians
At the Western Balkans summit in Brdo, Slovenia, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev told North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev that the "subtle erasure" of Bulgarian identity in the neighbouring country must stop before Bulgaria lifts its veto on Skopje’s EU accession negotiations. EURACTIV Bulgaria reports.
EU no longer agrees on Balkan membership guarantee, diplomats say
The European Union, fearing a political backlash in member states, can no longer agree to give a guarantee of future membership to the six Balkan countries once promised a place in the club, according to four diplomats and an internal...
North Macedonia holds high-stakes census, first in 20 years
In the country called today North Macedonia -- which gained independence in 1991 following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and came close to civil war in 2001 -- the long postponed census is far from being a statistical operation.