The EU ambassador in North Macedonia comes out with a strong appeal

The Ambassador of the European Union in Skopje, David Geer, said that North Macedonia should take the next step towards European integration, which is to change the Constitution, including the Bulgarian minority in its preamble.

The constitutional changes are foreseen in the Agreement with Bulgaria for the resolution of disputes on language, identity and historical aspects, therefore it is a condition for the continuation of the country's negotiations for membership in the European Union (EU).

The EU ambassador said on May 22 that North Macedonia is at a very special moment in history, as according to him, the enlargement process has been placed as a top priority on the EU agenda, which means that things can develop very quickly.

"North Macedonia can use that opportunity, to be able to move forward, and the next step that needs to be done is to change the Constitution," Geer said during a visit to the city of Ohrid.

He emphasized that Skopje has opened membership negotiations with the European Union, but this path can only be continued with the amendment of the Constitution.

"It is understood that we are talking about a sovereign decision that must be taken by your country. However, we are talking about an essential decision to move forward", said Ambassador Geer.

He also mentioned the need for reforms, which, according to the ambassador of the European bloc, are key to the dynamism of the European integration process.

"The sooner the reforms are implemented, the faster the country's entry into the EU will be," said Geer.

In March 2020, the European Union decided to start negotiations with North Macedonia, but this process was blocked by Bulgaria conditioning its support on the resolution of disputes between the two countries. Bulgaria lifted its veto in 2022 after reaching an agreement with North Macedonia, brokered by France.

But the constitutional changes are now opposed by the Macedonian opposition. VMRO DPMNE has said that Brussels should give guarantees that Sofia will not present other conditions in the further process of the country's European integration.

Constitutional amendments are approved by two-thirds or the votes of 80 deputies out of 120 in the Assembly of North Macedonia. The parliamentary majority has 74 deputies. /REL