On Thursday 29 November, MEPs called on Hungary to extradite former Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Nikola Gruevski to his country.
Indeed, MEPs adopted the amendments of the Greens/EFA and S&D groups on this subject in the context of the vote on the report by Ivo Vajgl (ALDE, Slovenia) on FYROM (see EUROPE 12148). In particular, the Greens/EFA amendment expresses the view that Hungary's assistance in the former Prime Minister' s flight is “an act of interference” in FYROM's internal affairs and “an act of contempt for the judiciary and the rule of law in that country”. This amendment was adopted by 323 votes to 227 with 83 abstentions. While the Greens/EFA, S&D and ALDE supported it, the majority of the EPP voted against the text which questions the government of Viktor Orbán, himself an EPP. The GUE/NGL group was divided and the ECR abstained for the most part.
The S&D amendment further emphasises the need to “respect the independence of the FYROM's judicial system and the rule of law in the country, to reassess the political asylum granted to Mr Gruevski and to proceed with his extradition to Skopje”. “Judicial proceedings in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia must continue in accordance with the country's procedures", the text, adopted by a show of hands, adds.
Mr Vajgl's report focuses on the situation in FYROM. By adopting it (470 votes in favour, 116 against and 46 abstentions), MEPs endorse “fully the Commission's recommendation, and the subsequent Council decision, to set June 2019 as the date for opening accession negotiations in recognition of the encouraging reform efforts”.
Welcoming the Macedonian Parliament's vote of 19 October in favour of launching the process of amending the Constitution in order to implement the provisions of the Pržino Agreement, the European Parliament calls on all political parties to continue to cooperate in a spirit of shared responsibility in the next stages of the procedure.
MEPs call on the new government to “accelerate the implementation of EU-related reforms”. In their view, the country must step up the fight against money laundering and conflicts of interest, better protect justice from political interference, revise the electoral code “in good time” and address persistent problems in the field of the rule of law. Parliament also calls for efforts in the fight against “widespread” corruption and organised crime.
Finally, MEPs stress the need to improve the business climate and tackle the large informal economy and the persistent problems of tax evasion and poor enforcement of contracts. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)