site.btaNorth Macedonia’s PM Mickoski: Clear Guarantees Needed for EU Membership Before Concessions

North Macedonia's government cannot make any concessions without clear assurances from the European Union regarding EU membership, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski of the Republic of North Macedonia said on Monday, quoted by North Macedonia's Media Information Agency.

"As a government we can’t enter a naive process where we only make concessions without having clear guarantees as a country that we will become a part of the European family. Since no one can guarantee us anything, we can’t be as optimistic as we would like to be and that’s why we will lead the two processes for EU membership and completing our domestic tasks in parallel, but we are ready for talks," Mickoski said.

The chair of the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), Venko Filipce, criticized the current government for souring relations with Bulgaria and lacking commitment to advancing North Macedonia's European integration.

"It is the government's responsibility to deliver on its promises and improve our situation. Instead, we see relations with Bulgaria deteriorating, which does not serve the national interest," Filipce said, quoted by Alfa TV.

Mickoski reiterated that North Macedonia is not avoiding talks with Bulgaria about including Bulgarians in its constitution but will only engage with representatives of a stable, permanent Bulgarian government. He emphasized that until then, the government "will not waste time" and will focus on internal reforms to meet EU membership criteria.

Mickoski's comments on Monday also addressed the recent closure of the Centre for the Macedonian Language in Greece. He expressed solidarity with his compatriots in Greece, noting that the closure was another example of neighbouring countries failing to honour agreements.

Mickoski said that North Macedonia remains the sole advocate for good neighbourly relations. He said neighbouring countries seem to need provocations and want Skopje to reciprocate and do something unrelated to its interests, namely, the strategic goal of full EU membership. He also noted that while North Macedonia's neighbours will try to involve it in their domestic political issues, the government remains responsible, mature, and focused on achieving its objectives.

The Kozani Courts of Appeal, located in the largest city of Greece's Western Macedonia region, has recently annulled the registration of the Centre for the Macedonian Language in Greece. It was registered by the court in Florina in 2022 and the Centre's registration as a non-governmental organization was upheld in 2023. Activists from the Centre have announced plans to appeal  against the annulment before the Greek Supreme Court.