On Thursday, 30 June, President of the European Council Charles Michel and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell welcomed France’s new compromise proposal to settle the dispute between Bulgaria and North Macedonia.
In a tweet, Mr Michel welcomed the “solution [proposed by the French Presidency of the Council of the EU] for an agreement that would pave the way for [the] opening of EU accession talks with North Macedonia”. He added, “The solution addresses [the] concerns expressed. We are the closest we have ever been: now is the time to say yes.”
At the end of the Madrid summit, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was convinced that, based on the consultations conducted with Macedonian and Bulgarian authorities over the past “days and hours”, a compromise solution that “suits the sensibilities of both parties, fully respecting their mandates”, had been found.
Mr Macron hoped that both parties’ examination of the proposal—which he did not explain in detail—in the coming days would confirm that it is acceptable to them. “The Bulgarian president and prime minister have already given me confirmation that they support this French position. The accession in principle should now move forward in the coming hours or days, but [it] requires consultations in Skopje”, added the French president.
In a statement, the Macedonian government specified that the French proposal contains “ideas that refer to [its] publicly stated positions and views”. “This is the basis for opening a broad consultative process first in the Government and the coalition partners, and then with the President, the Parliament and the opposition, as well as with the civil sector, the expert and the general public in the country”, added the government, without giving any details as to when the decision would be made. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)