site.btaVLEN Coalition in North Macedonia Wants to Mediate Skopje-Sofia Talks

The newly formed Albanian coalition VLEN, which is a member of the acting VMRO-DPMNE government, wants to be a mediator that "restores communication between Sofia and Skopje", so that the country can meet Bulgaria's requirement to include the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia's Constitution before North Macedonia can become a full member of the EU. This was stated by, Bilall Kasami, the leader of VLEN, in an interview for the MRT 1 television station.

"This is a sensitive issue. We have been part of these processes from the very beginning, and we still need someone who can serve as a bridge in the case of Bulgaria's request to include Bulgarians in the Constitution. Albanians also have ethnic demands and issues, so we have the experience to resolve this rather than placing it on a confrontational footing. At the same time, as long as we are part of the government, part of this country, we support our fellow Macedonians in preserving their identity," Kasami said.

He added that the position of the government of North Macedonia, in which VLEN is a coalition partner, has not changed after the country's parliamentary elections and is clear: "Both the Prime Minister and the government are committed to resolving this issue."

Referring to the series of snap parliamentary elections in Bulgaria in recent years, Kasami said: "We hope that there will finally be a stable political government in Sofia with which we can sit down and find a definitive solution."

The inclusion of Bulgarians in North Macedonia's Constitution is a condition for the start of EU accession negotiations under the country's negotiating framework, adopted by EU Member States and signed in 2022 by the government of Dimitar Kovacevski. A two-thirds majority in parliament is required to amend the country's Constitution, a majority that the acting SDSM did not have at the time, as the VMRO-DPMNE opposed the move, calling it a "Bulgarian dictate".

With the VMRO-DPMNE government coming to power in 2024, the process of constitutional amendments was halted, with the authorities in Skopje asserting that the issue is bilateral and that they are waiting for a stable political government to take office in Sofia to negotiate guarantees that this will be Bulgaria's final condition for North Macedonia.

Following the elections in Bulgaria, North Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Timco Mucunski, stated on several occasions that once the new Bulgarian government is formed, he will contact the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs. He stated that the government of North Macedonia "has always been ready for dialogue," but the former Bulgarian cabinet lacked the will to engage in dialogue. Later, Mucunski said during a press conference with Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset that in this situation, North Macedonia is not ready for constitutional changes.