European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is visiting Skopje as the last stop on her tour of the Western Balkans. The focus of talks with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova is expected to be North Macedonia's European integration, BTA reports.
The visit comes amid renewed discussions in Brussels about future EU enlargement. The European Commission has confirmed that Von der Leyen's tour includes Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, and in Skopje she will meet with Mickoski and Siljanovska-Davkova and visit the EU-funded railway corridor VIII.
One of the main issues facing Skopje remains the dialogue with Bulgaria. Mickoski and Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski are insisting that the EU should participate as a mediator in the talks between the two countries. The Macedonian prime minister said he was ready to discuss any topic and that it would be useful to have representatives of the European Commission or the EU present at the meetings. He even allowed NATO representatives to participate, since Bulgaria and North Macedonia are allies in the Alliance.
“It is logical to sit down and talk in the presence of EU representatives, because the arguments should be heard objectively“, said Mickoski.
At the same time, the official EU framework sets a specific condition for the next stage of the process. North Macedonia has committed to making constitutional changes that would include citizens belonging to other nations, including Bulgarians. The European Council in December 2023 confirmed that the EU is ready to conclude the initial phase of negotiations once these changes are implemented.
At the same time, the European Commission continues to assess the country's reforms. During her visit to Skopje in July, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Cos discussed with the government the progress of reforms and gradual integration into the EU.
Additional tension was created by publications according to which Brussels is preparing specific roadmaps for Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova. Mickoski said that there is no information that North Macedonia is excluded from such a plan and insisted that the EU clarify the situation.
The opposition SDSM sees Von der Leyen's visit in a different way. The party's leader Venko Filipce accused the government of risking the country being left out of the new stage of European enlargement. He called on Mickoski to use the visit to provide a clear answer on the future of the country's European course.
The “Alliance for Albanians“ also called for concrete actions, including a public plan with deadlines for fulfilling commitments to the EU. The party focused on constitutional changes, the judiciary, the fight against corruption and the functioning of institutions.
North Macedonia began the opening phase of membership negotiations in July 2022, and the screening process ended in December 2023. According to the European Commission, the country remains a candidate for membership, but further implementation of conditions related to reforms and the opening of the first negotiation cluster is necessary.