Bulgaria’s newly formed government has declared it will not engage in negotiations with North Macedonia regarding the terms for Skopje to commence its European Union (EU) accession discussions, according to a report by the Brussels-based portal Euractiv.

Three years prior, Bulgaria and North Macedonia reached an agreement facilitated by France, involving mutual concessions to advance the European integration process within the Western Balkans.

The then-government in Skopje, led by the now-opposition Social Democrats, agreed to recognize the Bulgarian minority in the North Macedonian Constitution, while Sofia committed to remove its veto on initiating EU membership negotiations for North Macedonia.

However, in May 2024, the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party won the elections in North Macedonia, campaigning with strong anti-Bulgarian sentiments and pledging not to concede to Sofia. Its leader, Hristijan Mickoski, subsequently became prime minister.

“Mickoski stated that he was awaiting the formation of a government in Sofia to commence discussions on lifting the Bulgarian veto, but early indications suggest that dialogue will not resume. Bulgaria emphasizes that the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia’s Constitution is not merely a bilateral matter, but a prerequisite set by Brussels for Skopje,” Euractiv reported.

The article also cites an unnamed Bulgarian minister asserting that Bulgaria remains “highly consistent” in its stance towards the Western Balkans and the European integration of all regional nations.

“There exists a European consensus, referred to in Bulgaria as the ‘French proposal’, which will be adhered to rigorously. The agreement reached is not just a bilateral issue between Sofia and Skopje, but rather one involving Brussels and our neighbors in North Macedonia,” the minister was quoted as saying by Euractiv.

Hristijan Mickoski’s party maintains its position that constitutional amendments should be enacted now but take effect only after North Macedonia’s accession to the EU, in order to mitigate the risk of Bulgaria issuing a new veto on alternative grounds.

Prime Minister Mickoski has expressed his desire for meetings with representatives of the Bulgarian government.

“In the past, I have engaged with the Bulgarian leadership at the highest levels, including their then interim prime minister. I anticipate meetings with the Bulgarian government at various tiers, and this should not come as a surprise. We will not disappear, and neither will they; we remain neighbors. It is essential to foster good neighborly relations, though it doesn’t necessitate agreement on contentious issues,” Mickoski stated.

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