Brussels, 28/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 25 October, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle reiterated his call for “constructive inclusive” dialogue and for “responsible politics in the national interest”, saying he was concerned about the increasing polarisation among political parties in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). During his meeting with Macedonia's Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, and Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Poposki, Füle also discussed the reform priorities highlighted in the progress report published by the European Commission on 16 October (see EUROPE 10944) and how to proceed with remedying the insufficiencies laid out in the report, which - for the fifth consecutive year - recommends opening accession negotiations.
Füle underlined the importance of improving the “predictability, equality and transparency of decision-making” in order to have the people's trust and to step up the fight against corruption and organised crime.
Media freedom to be improved. Füle also said that much remains to be done to re-establish trust between the government and the media, following the events of 24 December and consultations on media legislation during the summer, and he said that much remains to be done to improve the overall culture of the media. “The new defamation legislation must be implemented in practice and any change of relevant legislation must result, de facto, in the establishment of a better framework for freedom of expression”, he added. Füle returned to the recent decisions of the law court against investigative journalist Tomislav Kezarovski, explaining that the EU will continue to follow his case “closely” and will study the judgment “carefully” when it is available. “We expect the outcome of this case to take full account of the fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality and public interest”, Füle said. Kezarovski was sentenced to four and a half years in prison on 21 October for having revealed the identity of a witness in 2008 who was protected in a murder case.
Füle and Gruevski also discussed bilateral relations with two member states of the EU - Greece, which is blocking the opening of FYROM's accession negotiations because of the name issue, and Bulgaria, with which relations are complex. (CG/transl.fl)