What lies in the way of North Macedonia’s EU membership?
2 years, 11 months ago

What lies in the way of North Macedonia’s EU membership?

Al Jazeera  

Bulgaria and Greece have blocked the way before, with frustration centred on historic and cultural disagreements. “All these years the focus was on the Greek issues,” said Cvetkovska, referring to separate historic disagreements with North Macedonia’s neighbour to the south. “Macedonian politics were relying on the international community to fix the Bulgarian problem.” Tangled history Under premier Nikola Gruevski, the grandson of Greek communist exiles, North Macedonia claimed descent from ancient Macedonian kings Philip II and Alexander the Great, whose palaces are in the northern Greek region of Macedonia. North Macedonia relinquished claims to “ancient Hellenic civilisation, history, culture and heritage” in article 7. “The Slav Macedonians cannot accept that their beginnings as a nation go back only as far back as the 1940s.” The two countries’ common history stretches at least to the early Middle Ages.

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History of this topic

Orban's Governance Model: The Driving Force of His Popularity
2 months ago

Orban's Governance Model: The Driving Force of His Popularity

Al Jazeera  

The article explores the appeal of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, focusing on his governance model rather than geopolitical pursuits. It highlights how Orban's embrace of Russia and China has resonated with Eastern European countries seeking alternative pathways to the EU. The article also explores the impact of the EU's financial aid cuts on Hungary and the upcoming national elections …

Italy says Russia or China could gain influence in Western Balkans if EU dream fails
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Italy says Russia or China could gain influence in Western Balkans if EU dream fails

The Independent  

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Greece claims neighboring North Macedonia broke historic name deal, warns its EU hopes may suffer
6 months ago

Greece claims neighboring North Macedonia broke historic name deal, warns its EU hopes may suffer

Associated Press  

ATHENS, Greece — Greece on Monday accused neighboring North Macedonia’s new center-right government of breaking a historic deal on the country’s name, warning that this could harm its hopes of one day joining the European Union. Athens was responding a day after North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski repeatedly used the old name, Macedonia, saying he found his country’s new …

North Macedonia’s parliament approves a new center-right government after May’s election
6 months ago

North Macedonia’s parliament approves a new center-right government after May’s election

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — North Macedonia’s center-right leader secured parliamentary approval to lead a new coalition government in a vote late Sunday. However, VMRO-DPMNE’s questioning of key agreements with neighboring Bulgaria and Greece — both which can block North Macedonia’s accession — could put the brakes on the EU project, said political analyst Petar Arsovski. North Macedonia’s new President Gordana …

North Macedonia’s new president seeks to sidestep disputes with EU neighbors
7 months, 1 week ago

North Macedonia’s new president seeks to sidestep disputes with EU neighbors

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — European Union candidate North Macedonia sought Monday to calm disputes with EU neighbors Greece and Bulgaria that flared up following the landslide election victory of a conservative-backed coalition and president. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the remarks “illegal and unacceptable,” in an online post Monday, adding: “We declare categorically that we will not accept any …

North Macedonia’s new president reignites a spat with Greece at her inauguration ceremony
7 months, 1 week ago

North Macedonia’s new president reignites a spat with Greece at her inauguration ceremony

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was sworn as the first female president of North Macedonia on Sunday and immediately reignited a diplomatic spat with neighboring Greece. At the ceremony in the country’s parliament, Siljanovska-Davkova referred to her country as “Macedonia,” rather than the constitutional name “North Macedonia.” This prompted Greek Ambassador Sophia Philippidou to leave the inauguration ceremony. The …

Winner of North Macedonia’s parliamentary election to seek governing coalition partner
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Winner of North Macedonia’s parliamentary election to seek governing coalition partner

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — The head of a center-right 22-party coalition that emerged victorious in North Macedonia’s parliamentary election has fallen just short of gaining a parliamentary majority, leaving it reliant on entering a partnership with another party to form a government. The “Your Macedonia” coalition, led by the head of the VMRO-DPMNE party, Hristijan Mickoski, won just over 43% …

North Macedonia holds presidential and parliamentary elections Wednesday
7 months, 2 weeks ago

North Macedonia holds presidential and parliamentary elections Wednesday

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Voters in Northern Macedonia go to the polls Wednesday for a double election — parliamentary and presidential — following a campaign in which the country’s aspirations to join the European Union have played a central role. The month-long campaign has focused on fighting corruption, improving the slugging economy and alleviating poverty, but the main hot-button issue …

North Macedonia votes in presidential polls as EU membership bid looms
8 months ago

North Macedonia votes in presidential polls as EU membership bid looms

Al Jazeera  

The vote is the first in a series of polls that could decide whether the diverse Balkan country will ever join the EU. Voting is under way in North Macedonia to elect a president ahead of an upcoming parliamentary election as the Balkan country continues to ponder its European Union membership bid. The 61-year-old incumbent President Stevo Pendarovski is a …

NATO member N Macedonia to briefly lift flight ban in case Russia’s Lavrov wants to attend meeting
1 year, 1 month ago

NATO member N Macedonia to briefly lift flight ban in case Russia’s Lavrov wants to attend meeting

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — NATO member North Macedonia said Friday it would briefly lift a ban on flights from Russia next week, which would enable Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to attend an international conference in the country should he accept the invitation. It was not clear whether Lavrov would even accept the invitation which North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Bujar …

EU chief says investment plan for Western Balkan candidate members will require reforms
1 year, 1 month ago

EU chief says investment plan for Western Balkan candidate members will require reforms

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — The European Commission’s top official said Monday that a decade-long investment package for Western Balkan countries seeking to join the bloc could vastly improve the region’s economy but is conditioned on required reforms. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed details of the 6 billion euro package during a visit to North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, …

German president presses N Macedonia on EU-required reforms
2 years ago

German president presses N Macedonia on EU-required reforms

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged North Macedonia to acknowledge the presence of an ethnic Bulgarian minority in the country, amid other actions required to speed up its European Union accession process. North Macedonia’s accession bid is being held up by a dispute with neighboring EU member Bulgaria, which can block EU expansion — a process …

EU expanding border guard presence along busy Balkan route
2 years, 1 month ago

EU expanding border guard presence along busy Balkan route

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — The European Union signed an agreement Wednesday with North Macedonia to deploy officers from the bloc’s border protection agency Frontex in the small Balkan country as it expands its reach into nearby non-member states. The signing ceremony in North Macedonia’s capital Skopje was attended by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Home Affairs Commissioner …

North Macedonia’s EU path is under threat from an unlikely actor
2 years, 3 months ago

North Macedonia’s EU path is under threat from an unlikely actor

Al Jazeera  

Much of the Macedonian civil society has joined the right in rejecting a deal with Sofia and Brussels. Over the summer, a proposal by the European Union to resolve North Macedonia’s dispute with neighbouring Bulgaria, which had imposed a veto on its EU membership bid, caused much social upheaval in the Balkan country. This exposed the unsettling reality that the …

Spain's PM offers support for North Macedonia's EU candidacy
2 years, 4 months ago

Spain's PM offers support for North Macedonia's EU candidacy

The Independent  

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EU starts membership talks with Albania, North Macedonia
2 years, 5 months ago

EU starts membership talks with Albania, North Macedonia

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union started membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia on Tuesday, a long-delayed step in the Balkan nations’ paths toward EU membership that gained momentum amid the war in Ukraine. The result of your hard work,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Rama and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski of North Macedonia,. It was only …

EU agrees to accession talks with Albania, North Macedonia
2 years, 5 months ago

EU agrees to accession talks with Albania, North Macedonia

Al Jazeera  

The development comes after North Macedonia resolved a long dispute with its EU neighbour Bulgaria. The European Union has agreed to open accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia after Skopje resolved a long dispute with its EU neighbour Bulgaria. The 27 member states have “just agreed to open accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia”, Czech Prime Minister Petr …

North Macedonia parliament OKs deal; EU talks start July 19
2 years, 5 months ago

North Macedonia parliament OKs deal; EU talks start July 19

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — North Macedonia has approved a French proposal that opens the way for negotiations to join the European Union and overcome Bulgarian objections. Under the proposal, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron last month, North Macedonia would commit to changing its constitution to recognize a Bulgarian minority, protect minority rights and banish hate speech, as Bulgaria, an …

North Macedonia votes to resolve dispute with Bulgaria
2 years, 5 months ago

North Macedonia votes to resolve dispute with Bulgaria

Al Jazeera  

Lawmakers pass a deal aimed at settling a dispute with Bulgaria, clearing the way to long-due EU membership talks. Lawmakers in North Macedonia have passed a French-brokered deal aimed at settling a dispute with Bulgaria, clearing the way to long-due European Union membership talks. Both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel took to …

Concessions to Bulgaria prompts violence in North Macedonia
2 years, 5 months ago

Concessions to Bulgaria prompts violence in North Macedonia

Al Jazeera  

Northern Macedonia’s concessions on ethnic rights as part of EU accession talks prompts violent protests in Skopje. At least 47 police officers have been injured in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje during protests against the government’s concessions on ethnic rights as part of EU accession talks, according to news agency Makfax that cited the police. EU member Bulgaria had …

EU urges N Macedonia to back proposed deal with Bulgaria
2 years, 5 months ago

EU urges N Macedonia to back proposed deal with Bulgaria

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — European Council President Charles Michel urged North Macedonia on Tuesday to back a French-proposed compromise on ending a dispute with neighboring Bulgaria that’s blocking the country’s long-delayed European Union accession bid. Violent protests erupted in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where demonstrators tried to storm government buildings, after French President Emmanuel Macron announced the proposal — which …

Macedonians protest French proposals over rift with Bulgaria
2 years, 5 months ago

Macedonians protest French proposals over rift with Bulgaria

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Tens of thousands massed outside government offices late Saturday to protest a French proposal for solving North Macedonia’s dispute with Bulgaria that is blocking the country’s membership talks with the European Union. North Macedonia’s government has said the proposal is a “solid base.” But the main opposition center-right VMRO-DPMNE party rejects the proposition, arguing it favors …

Ukraine granted EU candidate status
2 years, 6 months ago

Ukraine granted EU candidate status

The Telegraph  

Albania’s progress towards membership has been blocked by EU member Bulgaria. Mr Rama said, “It is a disgrace that that one NATO country, Bulgaria, kidnaps two other NATO countries namely Albania and North Macedonia, in the midst of the hot war at the European backyards with 26 other countries sitting still, in a scary show of impotence," he said. Kosovan …

Bulgaria’s no-confidence vote could hamper EU expansion
2 years, 6 months ago

Bulgaria’s no-confidence vote could hamper EU expansion

Associated Press  

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Lawmakers in Bulgaria on Wednesday approved a no-confidence motion against the country’s minority coalition government that could topple the centrist prime minister and further stall efforts by Balkan countries to join the European Union. The Bulgarian government has insisted North Macedonia formally recognizes that its language has Bulgarian roots, acknowledges in its constitution a Bulgarian minority, and …

EXPLAINER: Western Balkans’ promised EU future still hazy
2 years, 6 months ago

EXPLAINER: Western Balkans’ promised EU future still hazy

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — European Union leaders will seek to offer support this week to six Western Balkan countries that have long been knocking at the bloc’s doors, and now see the war in Ukraine raging not far from their borders amid fears Russia could turn its sights on their region. The two-day summit starting Thursday in Brussels is expected to …

EU expansion drive in Balkans adds to Bulgarian PM’s woes
2 years, 6 months ago

EU expansion drive in Balkans adds to Bulgarian PM’s woes

Associated Press  

SOFIA, Bulgaria — After just seven months in office, and now reduced to heading a minority government, Bulgaria’s liberal Prime Minister Kiril Petkov finds himself between a rock and a hard place over European Union enlargement amid the war in Ukraine. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Friday urged the cabinet to disperse any suspicion that the country might take the …

Leading EU official calls bloc’s expansion a “top priority”
2 years, 6 months ago

Leading EU official calls bloc’s expansion a “top priority”

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — European Council President Charles Michel visited North Macedonia on Thursday and said efforts to start European Union membership talks with the landlocked Balkan country and neighboring Albania have become a “top priority” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The war in Ukraine opened a new chapter in European history and put EU enlargement at the forefront,” Michel …

Netherlands now supports EU bids from Albania and N. Macedonia
2 years, 6 months ago

Netherlands now supports EU bids from Albania and N. Macedonia

NL Times  

The Netherlands has made an about-face when it comes to the accession of Albania and North Macedonia to the European Union. Although Prime Minister Mark Rutte vocally opposed the two countries joining the EU a few years ago, he now approves, De Telegraaf reports. The Cabinet and coalition parties in the Tweede Kamer are also favorable toward the two Balkan …

Germany’s Scholz tries to unblock North Macedonia’s EU bid
2 years, 6 months ago

Germany’s Scholz tries to unblock North Macedonia’s EU bid

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited North Macedonia and Bulgaria on Saturday in a bid to resolve the dispute between both countries that has seen European Union membership talks with both North Macedonia and Albania blocked. Bulgaria refuses to approve the EU’s membership negotiation framework for North Macedonia, effectively blocking the official start of accession talks with …

Weary waiting for EU, Balkan trio boost regional integration
2 years, 6 months ago

Weary waiting for EU, Balkan trio boost regional integration

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Frustrated by their countries’ sluggish progress toward joining the European Union, three Western Balkan leaders moved Wednesday to further boost regional economic and labor integration. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski of North Macedonia signed deals on tax administration, tourism and cultural cooperation, and on mutual recognition …

Bulgarian PM visits North Macedonia to boost battered ties
2 years, 11 months ago

Bulgarian PM visits North Macedonia to boost battered ties

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — The new prime ministers of North Macedonia and Bulgaria agreed Tuesday to redouble efforts to improve relations between the Balkan neighbors, which soured after Bulgaria blocked North Macedonia’s bid to join the European Union. Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov’s visit to Skopje came only two days after North Macedonia’s parliament confirmed the country’s new cabinet, led …

North Macedonia: Center-left government OK’d by parliament
2 years, 11 months ago

North Macedonia: Center-left government OK’d by parliament

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — North Macedonia’s parliament on Sunday approved a new coalition Cabinet led by the Social Democrats, with two ethnic Albanian parties as junior partners. North Macedonia’s new prime minister, Dimitar Kovachevski, 47, was a deputy finance minister in the Zaev government. During his term as prime minister, Zaev secured North Macedonia’s membership in NATO after ending a …

Frustrated Balkans seek reassurance at EU summit
3 years, 2 months ago

Frustrated Balkans seek reassurance at EU summit

New Indian Express  

The 27-nation club is set to talk up economic support worth billions of euros for its eastern neighbours at a summit at Brdo Castle, in Slovenia, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency. "It's a good moment for us to be assertive, and make clear that the European Union continues to be the region's biggest donor," an EU official said. …

Euro 2020: North Macedonia, with habit of springing upsets, hope to make impact in debut
3 years, 6 months ago

Euro 2020: North Macedonia, with habit of springing upsets, hope to make impact in debut

Firstpost  

North Macedonia have a reputation of being capable of pulling off occasional upsets. Shortly after getting a new name, North Macedonia qualified for a major football tournament for the first time. The former Yugoslav republic became an independent member of FIFA and UEFA in 1994, took the name North Macedonia in 2019 and reached this year’s European Championship via a …

On the Macedonian-Bulgarian dispute and historical revisionism
4 years ago

On the Macedonian-Bulgarian dispute and historical revisionism

Al Jazeera  

In 2004, North Macedonia was one of the first post-Yugoslav states to receive an accession candidate status with the European Union. Various Bulgarian officials have claimed that the Macedonians are Bulgarians but are unaware of this fact, while the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has refused to refer to North Macedonia’s language as “Macedonian”, arguing instead that the language is merely …

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