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© Associated Press
Germany and the United States continued to urge North Macedonia to be able to negotiate with the European Union before the end of the year, while in Skopje the opposition increased tensions after several gestures by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to Bulgaria, and soon two “blockades began. of protest “. .
North Macedonia still has a chance to hold its first intergovernmental conference with the EU this year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was quoted as saying by Deutsche Welle. In a videoconference meeting with MEPs, he said there were “difficulties” in trying to make this a reality and that “the need for negotiations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia remains.” However, the chancellor hopes this will happen before the end of the German presidency of the EU Council, which ends in a month.
In addition to Merkel, tensions between Bulgaria and North Macedonia led to Bulgaria’s veto of the first Skopje intergovernmental conference (the real beginning of talks with the EU), said the former Washington ambassador to Skopje and now undersecretary of state. for Europe and Eurasia, Philip Reeker.
In a letter sent to Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Friday, he reiterated the US position that North Macedonia and the bloc countries should “continue to resolve bilateral disputes outside of the EU enlargement process, while those who wish to ( membership) at the same time advance with opening and closing heads. ” He said the United States will continue to support North Macedonia’s efforts to negotiate to secure its future.
Ten days ago, the State Department expressed its disappointment at the Bulgarian veto.
Protests and roadmap
After a weekend of speculation in which the Skopje opposition spoke without evidence of “dismemberment of North Macedonia” and signs of public support for the cabinet introduction of a “road map” as a compromise on the Accord Hristian Mickoski’s VMRO-DPMNE Neighborhood Network the scene of his campaign against a compromise between Sofia and Skopje.
VMRO-DPMNE also held a rally last night in many Macedonian cities, claiming that it is against many problems in power: crime, corruption, and “trade in Macedonian identity, state and past.” Automobile convoys marched in protest through Strumica, Gevgelija, Krushevo, Struga, Gostivar, Kichevo and several other cities.
Today, however, at 13:30 Bulgarian time, a new initiative begins – a “blockade” by the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Skopje – and the reasons seem to be entirely related to Bulgaria.
These are historical moments. These are moments in which the future of the Macedonian people, the Macedonian nation, is decided, moments in which the thesis is confirmed that the contracts signed in a hurry are not only not a solution, but quite the opposite, a problem in themselves . for the future of (North) Macedonia within the EU, “Mickoski said in a Facebook post. According to him,” only a political fan can sign a treaty in which the criteria for the progress of (North Macedonia) and the integration of the EU will be linguistic problems and problems with history. “
This happens at a time when Zaev is making so much concessions in his understanding of history (which, however, are not supported by decisions of the joint historical commission, and “Dnevnik” learns that they will be discussed next year), but also with a roadmap for the implementation of The Neighborhood Agreement should be adopted bilaterally. Skopje reiterates its red lines in the sense that it will not negotiate language and identity, which means that so far it is not acceptable that Bulgaria’s request to use only the term “official language of the Republic of North Macedonia” in the negotiating framework and the accession process instead of “Macedonian”. language. “The opposition insists that Zaev is conducting” secret “negotiations and that he must tell the public what its content is.
Mickoski’s position on the criteria, expressed in part by the Bulgarian government, does not actually correspond to reality. Nowhere in the 2017 Neighborhood Agreement is finding a solution to historic disputes as a criterion for starting negotiations. There is also no question in calling North Macedonia its language “the official language of the Republic of North Macedonia”, as Bulgaria insists. It is signed in both languages ”in accordance with the constitutions” of the states, but the wording includes “Macedonian language”. There is not even a commitment to use this wording in the accession process.
Following Mickoski’s call on politicians “not to dare to dismember Macedonian identity, Macedonian language, history, tradition, Macedonian customs”, Zaev’s ruling Social Democratic Union accused the VMRO-DPMNE of only “creating hysteria” and make false arguments without power you are. This position was adopted by Zaev’s first cabinet during negotiations with Greece, which led to the renaming of the Republic of Macedonia and its transformation into the Republic of North Macedonia.
