Macedonian lawmakers’ vote on the hard-to-sell French proposal designed to unlock the EU accession veto from Bulgaria will now take place on Friday following an extensive debate in parliament on Thursday and a decision to change what to vote on.
Bulgaria has blocked North Macedonia and, by default, Albania’s EU path over history, culture, and language disputes. The French proposal foresees it being lifted if Skopje changes its constitution to include a Bulgarian minority and introduces other measures related to protecting their rights and banishing alleged hate speech against them. Critics, however, fear risks to the Macedonian right to self-determination and identity and say they are making too many concessions.
On Thursday, lawmakers decided they would not vote for or against the proposal as a whole. Instead, they will decide on a number of conclusions which will be adopted throughout the debate. These are also expected to lay down the country’s red lines.
While, in theory, the proposal in whichever form should pass due to the ruling party’s slim majority, there could be further troubles ahead. To change the constitution, which the French proposal requires, there would need to be a two-thirds majority which can currently not be achieved.
Leader of the opposition party VMRO DPMNE Hristijan Mickoski opposes the proposal and said, “the farce in parliament might pass, but the change in the constitution, no.”
Meanwhile, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen addressed parliament and told them, “Europe is waiting for you.”
She travelled to the country to rally support for the proposal and speed up the integration process of the country and its neighbour, Albania.
“Many of you will be understandably frustrated that your country has not yet begun accession negotiations. Let me tell you: I am too,” she told parliamentarians.
But she was not warmly received by all. Members of parliament who opposed the bill wore t-shirts with the word “no’ written on them in red; others whistled and jeered as she spoke. Outside, thousands of protestors gathered to voice their opposition.
Meanwhile, von der Leyen insisted that “there can be no doubt the Macedonian language is your language,” attempting to quell fears the proposal respects national identity.
Meto Koloski from the United Macedonian Diaspora told EURACTIV that the EU is jeopardising its image by conceding to Bulgaria.
“The EU is being held hostage by Bulgaria, but by supporting the French Proposal, the EU has jeopardised its image, values and principles,” he said.
“Who wants to join a union that doesn’t care about your own right to self-determination and essentially gives a free pass to Bulgaria to continue its institutional discrimination policies against Macedonians and Holocaust denial and historical revisionism?”
But the lure of the intergovernmental conference being held as early as next week, could be too enticing for the Macedonian government that has been waiting for 17 years.
“Should you decide to endorse the revised French proposal, a political intergovernmental conference will be held within the next few days,” von der Leyen said. “We – the Commission – will then start, immediately, the process of screening the acquis. This is the first step in the negotiation process.”
