site.btaNorth Macedonia President: EU Integration Cannot Be Viewed Solely as Bilateral or EU-North Macedonia Issue

North Macedonia President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova said on Sitel TV that her country’s EU integration process, including the requirement to include Bulgarians in the Constitution, cannot be viewed solely as a bilateral issue with Bulgaria or as a matter only between North Macedonia and the European Union.

Siljanovska-Davkova questioned the legal status of protocols signed with Bulgaria and said greater clarity was needed on their role in the EU negotiating framework. She also said she could not guarantee that the required constitutional amendments would be adopted, as this was a decision for North Macedonia's Parliament.

The President also criticized the inclusion of Bulgaria’s unilateral declaration on the Macedonian language in the negotiating framework, saying that this raised questions about identity.

Her comments came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski to engage in dialogue with Bulgaria and said the constitutional amendments were the remaining decisive step for North Macedonia to advance toward opening its first EU negotiating cluster. 

Von der Leyen said the EU would welcome North Macedonia with its identity and language.