The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, visited Skopje on Tuesday, 5 July to discuss with the authorities of North Macedonia the French proposal for a compromise with Bulgaria. The Macedonian government is currently discussing with the various stakeholders whether or not the country will accept this compromise (see EUROPE 12983/4).
Calling the proposal “a balanced solution” that addresses the country’s main concerns, Mr Michel pleaded for Skopje’s endorsement, as “this opportunity is too important to be missed”. “The goal is clear: to start North Macedonia’s accession talks and to finally move forward to build our common EU future”, he stressed at a press conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski.
The President of the European Council said that if North Macedonia agreed to the compromise, the first intergovernmental conference would be held “in the next few days”. “The next steps will follow immediately, most notably the screening process will begin (...). Negotiating teams will be called to Brussels without delay”, he detailed.
According to Mr Michel, the proposal “refers to the Macedonian language, without qualification by the EU”. “Macedonian language is your language and the proposal respects that. The acquis, the EU legislation, will all be translated into Macedonian”, he explained. Moreover, “very aware” of the concerns about the Macedonian national identity, the President of the European Council gave his full support to systematically defend the legitimate rights of Macedonians.
“As for respect for minorities, it is enshrined in the EU Treaty”, he said, underlining Skopje’s progress in this area. According to Mr Michel, the amendment of the Macedonian constitution “will automatically, without need for further decision, trigger the second Intergovernmental Conference and it will automatically complete the opening of the negotiations”. Bulgaria wants the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in the Constitution. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)