About: North Macedonia
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”.
Putin and the EU: he – snake, we – frog
Putin’s blunder in Ukraine was that he compressed steps that normally take one full year into a mere 24 hours, and it is not clear what prompted him to behave in such an unusual manner, writes Evgenii Dainov.
Will ‘Postpolitik’ replace ‘Ostpolitik’?
The policy of pragmatic coexistence with autocratic Russia is now recycled in the hands of Russia’s ‘Trojan horses’ in the EU and Vučić’s Serbia, writes Radan Kanev.
Bulgaria’s veto hurts future of North Macedonia – diaspora leader
EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia should start immediately, and political issues with Bulgaria can be resolved as the chapters are opened, according to Metodija Koloski, president of the United Macedonian Diaspora.
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.
The long decline: mass migration batters Balkans
Abandoned shops and mostly empty streets offer few signs of life in North Macedonia's Valandovo, where young people are fleeing in large numbers hoping to find a better life abroad.
2022: Enlargement on life support
Enlargement is stalled, and EU governments can barely agree on a common strategy to bring in the six membership hopefuls -- Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia.
New Macedonian prime minister to be led by unity and dedication
Dimitar Kovacevski, the new leader of North Macedonia's ruling Socialists, said on Tuesday that his party had confirmed him as the country's prime minister-designate following Zoran Zaev's formal resignation as premier last week.
North Macedonia confirms new Socialists leader as PM designate
Dimitar Kovacevski, who was elected as the new leader of North Macedonia's ruling Socialists, was confirmed as the country's prime minister-designate on Tuesday (28 December) after Zoran Zaev formally resigned from the job, local media reported.
Three Western Balkan leaders sign agreements to open trade and travel for citizens
The leaders of Albania, Serbia, and North Macedonia signed six agreements on Tuesday (21 December) facilitating free movement of trade, people, and services throughout the three Western Balkan countries.
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...
North Macedonia’s PM to delay resignation
North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who announced his resignation over poor results in a local vote last month, will stay on in the job until the political situation stabilises, media reported on Wednesday (10 November).
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.
Turmoil on the horizon for North Macedonia after prime minister quits
Following North Macedonia's local elections, the Balkan country found itself without a prime minister, with the majority of municipalities falling into the hands of the opposition and with the possibility of snap elections looming - all of which could impact its EU accession bid.
The erosion of media freedom in the Balkans has gone too far
The EU is supposed to embody the values of liberty, democracy and fundamental human rights. But when it comes to media freedom, it is a passive observer in the face of widespread abuses on its own turf and in its immediate neighbourhood, writes Antoinette Nikolova.
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.
Slovenia aims to make EU-Western Balkans summit regular feature
Slovenia's EU presidency will host an EU-Western Balkans summit in early October and its desire is to make these summits a regular annual event as a means of accelerating the EU enlargement process, Foreign Minister Anže Logar has said.
WHO sounds alarm over rising COVID deaths in Europe
The World Health Organisation warned Monday (30 August) that 236,000 more people could die from COVID in Europe by December, sounding the alarm over rising infections and stagnating vaccine rates across the continent. Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria are among the countries with the highest mortality.
EU removes US, Western Balkan countries from COVID safe list for non-essential travel
The European Union on Monday (30 August) recommended that its member states reimpose travel restrictions on US tourists over rising covid infections in the country.
EU recognises Covid certificates from Turkey and Ukraine
The EU will recognise national Covid certificates from Turkey, Ukraine and North Macedonia from Friday, opening the way to easier travel for their residents, the European Commission said.