North Macedonia remains close to opening negotiations with the European Union, but the decisive obstacle continues to be political and constitutional. In Skopje, Ursula von der Leyen presented the process as achievable with a single step, while the Macedonian side asked for guarantees that the path toward the EU will not be accompanied by new conditions.
Constitutional change remains the blocked knot
The President of the European Commission said in Skopje that North Macedonia is only one step away from moving forward in the accession process. According to her, that step is linked to amending the Constitution and including the Bulgarian minority in it.
Brussels’ message remains clear: without this move, the first cluster of negotiations will not open. This keeps the process tied to an extremely sensitive domestic issue, with visible political costs for Skopje.
The EU promises identity and language, but the condition remains in force
Von der Leyen acknowledged that this is a sensitive issue, but said North Macedonia will be welcomed into the European family with its identity and language.
In essence, the political signal from Brussels is that the symbolic guarantee on identity is nevertheless accompanied by a concrete condition that the Macedonian authorities must pass themselves at the institutional and constitutional level.
Efforts to unblock the process next week
According to statements made in Skopje, it was agreed that a new step will be taken next week in an attempt to unblock the process.
Von der Leyen also spoke about the EU’s new strategy, which is expected to be published next week. With this document, the European Union will review its own institutions, policies and budget to determine what needs to change before new members are admitted.
Albania in the group of countries that have advanced the most
The President of the European Commission also announced that a roadmap will be presented for the countries that have made the most progress in negotiations, mentioning Albania, Montenegro, Ukraine and Moldova.
This shows that enlargement is being handled at different speeds among candidate countries, while for North Macedonia the unblocking still remains conditional on an internal decision that continues to generate political debate.
Mickoski asks for a process without new conditions
Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski asked Brussels for guarantees for a process that, according to him, should be fair and without new conditions.
According to his account, Skopje’s European orientation has not changed and reforms are continuing. He also stressed that citizens should feel the benefits of integration even before full membership, through access to the common market, investment, infrastructure links and economic opportunities.
The visit to Skopje once again brought back the same reality: the European promise for North Macedonia remains on the table, but the door will not open without a difficult internal decision.
Beyond the encouraging statements, the process continues to move forward with concrete conditions and with a political equation that has still not been resolved.