The Macedonian Parliament approved a long agreement negotiated by France on Saturday to put an end to its dispute with neighboring Bulgaria.
by
It was one of those historical and identity conflicts of which the Balkans have the secret. Saturday, July 16, the Parliament of Northern Macedonia approved an agreement lengthly negotiated by France to put an end to its dispute with neighboring Bulgaria, which had prevented the opening of membership negotiations for the European Union of the European Union for years This small country of 1.8 million inhabitants. The two countries are divided in particular on the identity of their common historical figures or the nature of the differences between their two languages.
After three days of debate in an atmosphere made electrical by the lively protests of oppositions of the radical right and left and the presence of nationalist demonstrators gathered before the siege of Parliament in Skopje, 68 on 120 deputies adopted different resolutions worth recognition From the “French proposal” negotiated in recent months by Emmanuel Macron when France occupied the rotating presidency of the European Council. “Thank you to the deputies who voted for the European future of the country,” praised Dimitar Kovacevski, the Macedonian Prime Minister (Social Democrat), who supported this agreement.
ursula von der Leyen at Skopje
All EU leaders also immediately welcomed this vote. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had moved to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, Thursday July 14 to call on the deputies to adopt the proposal. In the event of a favorable vote, she had promised to bring together “from the next few days” a European intergovernmental conference which should decree the opening of membership negotiations with Skopje, but also with neighboring Albania; Two candidate countries whose fate is bound by Brussels. Once opened, negotiations should still last years before reaching a membership.
On June 24, Bulgaria had raised its veto after having succeeded in imposing as a condition that North Macedonia modifies its constitution to recognize the existence of a Bulgarian minority on its territory. Linguistically and historically close to Bulgaria, northern Macedonia is still considered an integral part of their country by Bulgarian nationalists, even if just over 3,000 Macedonians declared themselves from Bulgarian ethnicity during the last census.
EU candidate since 2005
The agreement had first launched strong criticism from the Macedonian authorities, until France presents a version of the slightly attenuated text. The Northern Macedonia will however have to modify its constitution before joining the EU, a stage which promises to be all the more difficult to cross that it requires the adhesion of a majority of two thirds. “The problem is that the EU lied a lot to us. Even intellectuals and proeuropée experts like me doubt this proposal and no longer necessarily trust,” explains Zoran Nechev, of the Institute for the Democracy of Skopje.
You have 34.03% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.