The European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, warned the political parties in North Macedonia on Tuesday 19 March against a boycott of the presidential elections scheduled for April and May.
According to him, the opening of accession negotiations in June “can only be achieved if it is a national objective of all parties - which also includes participation in elections, the next ones being the presidential elections - for everyone”, he explained at the end of the 15th EU-North Macedonia Stabilisation and Association Council. “Each party should do its best to show its democratic maturity”, he added. The Commissioner warned that it was everyone’s responsibility “to contribute to [the European objective] and not to endanger it at the last moment”.
For the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, the presidential elections should not be an obstacle to reform, but an opportunity to discuss the country's present and future. She called for the elections to be well administered and for political rivalry to take place within the institutional framework provided by the elections.
Ms Mogherini and Mr Hahn welcomed the Prespa agreement and the efforts made in terms of reforms. The former described the fact that the country was able to negotiate both this agreement, which had required “political energy” and the continued pursuit of reform as “quite remarkable”. “I am impressed by the dynamics of the reforms in the country” and by the government's institutional approach, she added. Reforms that must be continued, as Ms Mogherini and Mr Hahn specify. The latter insisted on judicial reform, zero tolerance for corruption, the fight against organised crime, reform of the intelligence services and merit-based appointments in the administration. “It is important to show the determination [to reform] in the country for the last few miles before June,” he warned.
The progress made in recent months will weigh heavily in favour of an agreement by the Member States on the opening of accession negotiations, expected in June. “I think it is realistic to expect a positive decision from the European Council in June 2019 so that we can start accession negotiations,” said Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. He promised that Skopje would intensify efforts to try to positively influence the June decision. Some Member States, notably France, still seem to be opposed to this opening of negotiations. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)