History and identity politics have become part of the accession process, former foreign minister of North Macedonia Nikola Dimitrov said in an interview for EURACTIV.cz, adding that the failures of the enlargement process should be fixed.
Due to historical disputes, Bulgaria blocked the opening of the accession talks with North Macedonia. However, it lifted its veto in July 2022, after an agreement brokered by the French Presidency that would require Skopje to change its constitution, something it does not have the political support to do.
“The EU’s enlargement is back on the agenda, but we must fix it. And this is the moment to do it because if we copy-paste a failing template from the Western Balkans to Ukraine and Moldova, we will only see further frustration and disappointment,” Dimitrov said.
He noted that following the deal between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, “bitterness” remained. “In July, some Bulgarian demands related to identity and history were accepted and integrated into the accession process, but only to have some success in the Balkans,” he added.
Other disputes relate to historical figures, the language, national identity and alleged incidents of ethnically fuelled hate speech.
“I think that other member states should help and come up with statements endorsing the right of self-determination and that the Macedonian language will be one of the official languages of the EU upon our accession,” Dimitrov said.
“Much work has to be done now to consider negotiation talks as a success. We must ensure that Macedonians do not feel that their identity is threatened,” he added.
Moreover, Dimitrov called on the EU to grant the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and Moldova the possibility to join the Council of the EU’s meetings. Suitable measures and support schemes created at the EU level should also be applied to those countries as well, he argued.
