site.btaNorth Macedonia in 2025: Fires, Elections and Stalled EU Integration

In 2025, North Macedonia faced a range of challenges that went beyond politics alone.

The Kochani tragedy

Early in the year, the country was hit by a tragedy in which 63 young people aged between 16 and 24 lost their lives and more than 200 were injured as a result of a fire on March 16 at the Pulse nightclub in Kochani during a concert by the popular local band DNK. Fireworks on the stage set the ceiling of the club alight. During the investigation, it emerged that the nightclub had been operating without the required permits, without the necessary safety measures, without an emergency exit, and had been renovated using highly flammable materials.

Bulgaria was the first foreign country to respond, sending an aircraft and ambulances to take over the treatment of 16 of the injured. Greece, Serbia, Turkiye, Croatia, Sweden, Italy and others also provided assistance.

Court proceedings in the case began in November, while two additional investigations are also under way and are expected to end with indictments. Every Saturday, the parents of the young people who died in the fire take to the streets of Kochani carrying photos of their children in a "March of the Angels". A similar march was held in Skopje on the eve of the first court hearing in the case, in which 35 individuals and three legal entities are charged.

Lack of progress in North Macedonia's EU integration

Two reports on the country's progress along its European path, by the European Parliament and the European Commission, noted stagnation in EU integration. The main obstacle remains the commitment to constitutional amendments and the inclusion of Bulgarians in the country's constitution, which is a condition for continuing accession negotiations. At the very start of their term, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and his government, formed by VMRO-DPMNE, the ZNAM movement and the VLEN coalition of Albanian parties, stated that they expect guarantees that constitutional changes would be the final condition imposed by Bulgaria. At the same time, the authorities in Skopje continue to receive signals that "the ball is in their court", as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media after her several-hour visit to Skopje in October. The opposition proposed that parliament adopt a resolution setting out so-called "red lines" that would pave the way for the country to begin negotiations with the EU. The resolution was submitted to parliament but has not yet been included on the legislature's agenda.

The lack of reforms, problems with the rule of law and corruption are among the main obstacles to the full launch of EU membership negotiations with North Macedonia, alongside the constitutional amendments related to the inclusion of Bulgarians in the country's basic law, both European reports noted.

Relations with Bulgaria

The governing authorities in North Macedonia claim that Bulgaria and its demand to include Bulgarians in the country's constitution are the reason for the blocked EU integration, despite the fact that this requirement is part of the negotiating framework approved by all EU member states. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has repeatedly stated that he is ready for dialogue with Bulgaria in order to present his arguments.

In his address at the latest VMRO-DPMNE congress in early December, Mickoski said: "We are prepared to talk but first let them decide what kind of talks they want to have - bilateral talks or talks with Brussels. If they are bilateral, then our thesis is confirmed that this is a bilateralization of our European path. If they want us to talk in Brussels, in the presence of European diplomats, we are ready to travel as early as tomorrow and present our arguments. We will not concede even a millimetre until the very last letter of the agreements and international law is fulfilled, and until what is due to Macedonians on the other side of the border, in [Bulgaria's] Pirin Macedonia, is delivered. That is neither more nor less than the consistent implementation of all existing rulings of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg concerning the rights of the Macedonian community in our eastern neighbour. That is the first point. And second, if indeed no one has a problem with our centuries-old identity and our native Macedonian language, and there will be no more bilateral vetoes, then the very least that the citizens of this country deserve are new conclusions by the European Council. These are the two pillars we are prepared to discuss."

In practice, the only visible step towards cooperation between Bulgaria and North Macedonia was taken with EU mediation and was linked to the signing of an agreement on the preparation, construction and operation of a cross-border railway tunnel between the two countries, part of Rail Corridor 8. The agreement was signed in early November by North Macedonia's Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski and Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Transport and Communications Minister Grozdan Karadjov.

In May, the Basic Court in Bitola handed down a one-year suspended sentence with a two-year probation period in a case against Ljupcho Georgievski, chairman of the Ivan Mihaylov Cultural Club in Bitola, which had been removed from the country's Central Register. Georgievski was tried for xenophobia, racism and the dissemination of racial hatred online through quotations from Ivan Mihaylov shared on the club's Facebook page. The ruling prompted numerous reactions in Bulgaria. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said that Bulgaria views the case against Ljupcho Georgievski as a politically motivated trial, while President Rumen Radev said that the case and anti-Bulgarian statements by leading figures in North Macedonia are absolutely unacceptable.

In November, the doyen of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia, Vladimir Perev, announced that he had been attacked, both physically and verbally, in a shop in central Skopje. In a post, Perev, who is 80 years old, quoted the insults directed at him and said that he had been struck in the face, breaking his glasses. North Macedonia's Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski denied that there had been "any kind of attack" on Perev, while the Interior Ministry in Skopje announced that it was taking steps to clarify the case.

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry responded with a statement condemning "yet another act of hate-motivated violence against a Bulgarian citizen in the Republic of North Macedonia" and expressing the expectation that "the competent authorities in the Republic of North Macedonia will take timely and effective action to investigate the case and ensure justice".

Summer wildfires

During the summer and autumn of 2025, North Macedonia was hit by a major wave of wildfires, which led to the declaration of a 30-day state of emergency in July and August. The fires were caused by extreme heat, drought and strong winds. Dozens of fire outbreaks were recorded across the country in July and August. Two landfill sites near the capital also caught fire, with some of the blazes reaching neighbourhoods of Skopje. The army joined firefighting efforts, and the state activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Local elections

Local elections were held in October and November 2025. The ruling coalition (VMRO-DPMNE, VLEN and ZNAM) won a decisive victory. VMRO-DPMNE alone secured 55 municipalities, while the entire coalition won 66 out of the country's 80 municipalities, including the capital Skopje.

Due to low voter turnout in the first round, the elections will be repeated in January, with the full procedure restarted in four municipalities.

December, a month of internal party activity

At a congress in early December, the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party re-elected Hristijan Mickoski for a third consecutive term as party leader. He was the only candidate for the position. By the end of the year, on December 20, a congress is also due to be held by the largest Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration, led by Ali Ahmeti, which is currently in opposition. The Alliance for Albanians, chaired by Ziadin Sela, who left the coalition with the Democratic Union for Integration, will hold a party assembly on December 27 to discuss the reorganization of the party's structures and governing bodies. A similar process is already under way in the largest opposition force, SDSM, after its entire leadership resigned at the request of party leader Venko Filipche.