EU Rapporteur for Kosovo Viola von Cramon has warned that Russia may exploit current unrest in the Western Balkans, as protests continue in North Macedonia.
“When the #EU Member States 🇪🇺 fail to deliver ANY tangible reward to the progressive governments in the #WesternBalkans, we have turmoils in 🇲🇰 and potentially 🇲🇪 that may be exploited by 🇷🇺 & other foreign actors. High time that key 🇪🇺 capitals understand & step up its actions,” she wrote on Twitter.
North Macedonia has entered its fifth day of protests as thousands of citizens and the country’s main opposition party find the French-backed compromise with Bulgaria unacceptable.
The protests have at times turned violent, with protestors throwing rocks at government buildings and dozens of police officers being injured.
North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU accession for the past sixteen years. While it met all conditions to open negotiation talks, its path has been held up by Bulgaria over issues of culture, identity, and language.
The French proposal, brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to reach a compromise and unlock negotiations for both North Macedonia and Albania.
However, as the Parliament of North Macedonia prepares to vote on the proposal, opposition parties have decried the lack of transparency that led to the compromise.
