site.btaAlliance for Albanians Warns of EU Integration Stagnation in North Macedonia

North Macedonia, once among the first countries in the Western Balkans to receive EU candidate status, is now watching Montenegro and Albania move ahead in the accession process while it remains “hostage to political calculations”, according to a statement from the Alliance for Albanians in the Republic of North Macedonia.

The party stressed that constitutional amendments remain the key condition for unlocking progress in European integration, a point it says has been repeatedly emphasized by senior EU officials. It further criticized the government and its coalition partner VLEN, arguing that despite earlier promises to prioritize EU integration, they are now silent and remain in power “without guarantees, results, or accountability”. The statement warned that every lost year means fewer investments, a lower standard of living, and increased emigration of young people seeking their European future abroad, adding that the current stagnation is a political choice for which someone must be held accountable.

Alliance for Albanians leader Arben Taravari has recently attracted media attention amid speculation about possible government reshuffles and the redistribution of ministerial posts among coalition partners.

Taravari, formerly part of the VLEN coalition and serving as health minister, left both the coalition and his ministerial position, saying that the government had failed to deliver on commitments made to voters.

In a recent interview with the television channel Shenja, Taravari said that returning to a government he had already left would be humiliating for him and his party, though he did not rule out talks if a “new political agreement” were reached that included guarantees for the start of EU accession negotiations.

His remarks were interpreted by some media outlets as an indication of willingness to rejoin the ruling coalition. However, North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski responded that such matters “are not discussed through the media”.