Berlin to Sofia: Skopje’s veto makes populists stronger and dangerous for you too

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For several days, the German Minister for European Affairs, Michael Roth, repeatedly commented on the veto imposed by Bulgaria at the start of negotiations with North Macedonia. However, the most direct criticism was that Sofia’s actions could affect her, as she helps populists and nationalists in the region.

The extension and scheduling of the first intergovernmental conferences – the real beginning of negotiations – with North Macedonia and Albania was removed from the agenda of today’s General Affairs Council meeting, which includes both Roth and the Minister of Foreign Relations of Bulgaria, Ekaterina Zaharieva. According to him, the German presidency will do everything possible to overcome the blockade. “Anything else would be a serious political mistake at the expense of the stability and security of the Western Balkans, and that would ultimately threaten the security of the whole of Europe,” Roth said.

He also confirmed that the talks are continuing, but “unfortunately we have not been able to advance with the progress we have already agreed upon. It is based on the bilateral demands of one member state, to which the other 26 could not join.”

Germany is among the countries that insist that no one supports Bulgaria’s position, but has failed to persuade Sofia to change it so that negotiations can begin before the end of the German EU presidency (this month). In the last two months since the dispute broke out, no EU country has responded with unequivocal public support to Sofia, who wants a change in the negotiating framework, while at the same time imposing specific conditions on Skopje, history and language.

However, the most direct comments about Bulgaria were made through the German editorial office Deutschland (RND), which said that although he and his team took into account the interests of all parties to the dispute, Sofia’s behavior was harmed. himself because of the risks. as a result of the slowdown in European integration (the German expression literally means “this is how the meat is cut”):

Roth points to the fact that it takes much longer to start negotiations than Germany, as well as other EU countries, and the Western Balkans have been criticized for making commitments that the EU cannot deliver on its own. This is due to the failure of member states to start negotiations with two countries in the region that have been considered ready for several years: first, by western countries (after the Greek blockade fell with the name dispute), and today for Bulgaria. The RND publication, which recounts the dispute between Sofia and Skopje, notes that it is being fought despite painful reforms implemented by North Macedonia to be ready for negotiations.