Visiting Brussels, Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani once again advocated for the opening of EU accession negotiations for his country and for Albania. According to him, this would allow the EU to maintain its credibility in the region, which is currently under strain. (Interviewed on 16 November by Camille-Cerise Gessant)
Agence Europe - Can you explain what is happening in your country?
Bujar Osmani - We managed to overcome a small political crisis that occurred after the local elections. The Prime Minister announced his resignation, and this created the space for political manoeuvring, including by some malign external influences that encouraged the formation of a new majority, at least on paper, that could threaten not only the political stability but the strategic orientation of this country. That attempted “coup d’état” failed.
Now the government continues to work in an attempt to achieve our strategic goals and to bring the country closer to the EU. We are working to increase the majority in order to provide more political stability because ahead of us are many challenges and opportunities; challenges in terms of dealing with the pandemic and its social economic consequences, but also the energy crisis, and opportunities in terms of the possibility of starting accession talks in December and a breakthrough on the dispute that we have with Bulgaria.
After the election on Sunday in Bulgaria, do you think it will be possible to move ahead?
At least there will be political stability and predictability. Having a caretaker government for so long was not helpful for resolving the issue. We hope that a political government will be formed soon so we can engage in substantial talks and overcome the differences.
We have never stopped communicating with the technical government. We will continue during this month, before this window of opportunity on 14 December, with the General Affairs Council.
I hope that everyone will be focused and constructive, because this is in the interest of Bulgaria, of the stability of the region, and especially of the European Union to maintain its credibility in the region and also as a global player.
The EU High Representative hopes to have the first Intergovernmental Conferences in December. Do you think this is realistic?
Twenty-six countries are pushing for an IGC as soon as possible for Albania and North Macedonia, and Bulgaria has put forward a veto because of the differences that we have.
I hope that after the constructive engagement that we showed during this period, and also reflecting on the consequences for the EU’s credibility and the stability of the region, Bulgaria will lift its veto, and we could start this long process for EU membership, which is one of the most controlled processes. So Bulgaria will continue to have its leverage over the process.
In a joint statement, your Prime Minister, the Prime Minister of Albania, and the President of Serbia called for greater cooperation with the EU while waiting to join the EU (see EUROPE 12827/4). Do you think that this is a good thing, or could it be an alternative to the absence of enlargement?
We should separate the start of the accession process and its final outcome.
Some wrongly see this as one undivided process. Beginning the process is the cheapest way for Europe to engage with the region. It guards the region, it prevents the pull from various external sources, but it does not mean that all those countries starting accession talks will become Member States.
And therein, I think, lies the problem. The fear among Europeans is that countries that are not ready to join you will come and complicate further the already complicated system of the European Union. Our people do not care about their veto rights in the future European Union or having more commissioners, what we care about is mobility, access to education, to loans and funds.
Forget the final outcome and concentrate instead on the beginning and on the process itself; the process is what matters, what brings Europeanisation of the country. The final outcome will come as a logical step when the countries in the region become European. The formal accession will be less important for Europe and for us as well.
Do you think the EU has lost credibility in your country and in the region?
I think it is in the process of losing it. And the litmus test for that is the dossier of North Macedonia. North Macedonia has met all the possible criteria and even gone beyond, and this dossier was not acknowledged and rewarded. So, in the eyes of the citizens of the region, if it didn't work for us, why would it work for them?
So therefore, if the EU’s credibility collapses, it will collapse over the case of North Macedonia.
Secondly, while the European idea is a winning ticket for elections in the region, when it starts losing its strength as a winning ticket, then we will have a nationalist rhetoric and we will be managing crises instead of managing the future and the European future of the region.
Restoring this credibility requires allowing Albania and North Macedonia to start accession talks. This is the cheapest investment the EU could make in order to keep this region progressing on the right path.
The situation in the region right now is quite complicated at the moment (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia/Kosovo). Are you concerned?
Yes, and we are following this carefully. What gives us some confidence is that three of the six countries in the region are already NATO member States, and NATO provides political stability and predictability. (...)
But I don’t think we can solve the difficult issues of Bosnia and the relations between Kosovo and Serbia without first dealing with the perspective of Albania and North Macedonia for the European Union.
North Macedonia in particular is the key to unlocking the crisis in the Western Balkans. When the countries in the region see that this functional, multi-ethnic democracy is a success, they will follow that path.
Do you think that the EU bears part of the responsibility for what is happening in the region?
Absolutely, yes! It is up to the EU now to gather its strength. I know that these decisions require unanimity, but it’s the responsibility of the Union to cross this Rubicon and to go to the side of European stability.
Lastly, on Covid-19, how is the EU helping your country? The EU wants to have the same level of vaccination in the Western Balkans as in the EU. So where are you in terms of vaccination?
EU cooperation on the Covid-19 issue is a success story.
Not only with vaccination, but particularly with management at first, with technical and medical equipment, first aid, direct financial support, €3.3 billion for the region from the European Union for managing the social economic impact. And later on through vaccines. Yes, there was a delay in delivery, but the entire world was in a crisis so we understand that the EU had to provide for itself first.
Now, it’s not about having the vaccines. It’s about convincing people to get vaccinated. North Macedonia has almost reached a 50% vaccination rate among the population. We hope that this number will increase, because obviously the situation is deteriorating all over Europe, and so one day that will be reflected in our country as well.