The parliament of North Macedonia on Saturday approved a French plan that should allow accession to the European Union. That reports Reuters news agency. The compromise puts an end to longstanding opposition from Bulgaria, which prevented it from becoming an EU member over the alleged ill-treatment of the Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia.
The French proposal means that the North Macedonian constitution stipulates that this minority will be given the same rights and treated in the same way as other inhabitants. Also, Bulgaria does not have to officially recognize the Macedonian language. 68 of the 120 North Macedonian MPs voted in favor of the plan. The opposition left the room in protest before the vote.
Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski was satisfied with the vote. “Today we open a new perspective for our country,” he said afterwards. “From today on, we are moving at an accelerated pace to join the EU family.” According to Kovacevski, the first meeting between his government and the EU will take place on Tuesday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said on Saturday that the vote in the North Macedonian parliament has now cleared the way for negotiations to begin “soon”.
Also read: EU asks North Macedonia: accept this compromise for accession
Implications for Albania
The compromise between Bulgaria and North Macedonia also affects neighboring Albania, whose accession had linked the EU to that of North Macedonia. Prime Minister Edi Rama said after the results that he would immediately send a delegation to Brussels next Monday to also start talks about accession.
North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership since 2005, but accession was thwarted first by Greece and then by Bulgaria. However, Ukraine’s and Moldova’s recent accession moves put pressure on Bulgaria to end its resistance.
The Bulgarian upheaval sparked large-scale protests last month and contributed to the collapse of the country’s government. Protesters also took to the streets in North Macedonia. They say the deal poses a threat to their language and identity.