EC Report Presented: Condition for Constitutional Changes Remains
Source: SkopjeDiem
In its North Macedonia 2025 Report, the EC says that there’s been limited progress with regards to the rule of law and that though significant progress has been achieved in terms of reforms and alignment with the EU’s foreign policy, no progress has been made when it comes to the constitutional changes, a condition for further integration.
Efforts to strengthen judicial independence and the fight against corruption, public administration reforms, advancement of fundamental rights, protection of minorities, and freedom of expression should be strengthened, it is highlighted.
The Report also emphasises the need to implement, in good faith, the Prespa Agreement with Greece and the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness, and Cooperation with Bulgaria.
North Macedonia kept full alignment with the Common Security and Foreign Policy, and the technical work on the roadmaps and the action plan linked to Cluster 1 continued, but the country has not taken decisive steps to advance in the accession negotiations process over the last year, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos pointed out on Tuesday.
“It has to amend the Constitution according to the Council conclusions from 2022 to advance on its EU path”, she added.
High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas stated that chances to enlarge the Union did not come often, but the window “is now wide open”.
As she added, joining the EU remains a fair, tough, and merit-based process, but new countries joining the EU by 2030 is a realistic goal.
“North Macedonia has not yet made the required constitutional changes”, the EU foreign policy chief reiterated.
In Skopje, EU Ambassador Michalis Rokas handed over the Report to President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, who, according to the press-release that was issued by her Cabinet, pointed to the need for the evaluation to be founded on the Copenhagen criteria instead of on political conditions “we have faced for two decades”.
Ambassador Rokas, it is pointed out in the press-release, considers the current moment to be the best one for bold and decisive steps with regards to reforms due to the openly expressed will of EU leaders to help and support the country’s integration.
The same day, the EU Ambassador also presented the Report at a closed session of Parliament, which was attended by the Speaker of the legislative house, Afrim Gashi, as well as by coordinators of parliamentary groups and representatives of parties represented in the legislative house, including Oliver Spasovski and Jovan Mitreski of SDSM, Bekim Qoku of VLEN, Marija Petrusevska of VMRO-DPMNE, and Boban Karapejovski of ZNAM.
Before the presentation of the Report earlier that day, POLITICO had reported that though North Macedonia had changed its name in 2019 as a result of the Prespa Agreement with Greece, it remained obstructed on its EU path due to the language and history dispute with Bulgaria.
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