It is time for North Macedonia to overcome internal political struggles, stop being distracted by nationalistic issues that do not improve the lives of Macedonians, and move forward with reforms. It is also time for EU countries to finally ensure a credible accession process. This is the message from the Socialists and Democrats as the European Parliament adopts its report of the country’s EU path, the first since 2022.

Thijs Reuten, S&D negotiator on North Macedonia, said:

“North Macedonia belongs in the EU. We share the vision of the country’s European future. Macedonians can count on us – both for our political backing and our technical assistance in delivering on EU reforms.

“But we must be clear: North Macedonia’s leadership must overcome political polarisation and focus on reforms, including the constitutional amendments the country has committed to. We know that it is difficult to amend the constitution once again, but this is the only way to advance the accession negotiations.

“At the same time, all EU countries must strive for a credible, fair, and predictable accession process – with no new conditions and no more unequal political power games. The EU member states must be crystal clear about this.

“We are proud of this balanced and comprehensive report adopted by a strong and broad European majority, acknowledging that the enlargement process should not be abused to settle bilateral disputes. This report is the result of hard work during very challenging negotiations. The political debate on the origins of the Macedonian language and identity was both an unnecessary provocation, as it is already covered by the negotiating framework, and a distraction from the real issues.

“At the end of this process, we can only conclude that, after two lost decades, it is time to focus on our shared future. Dwelling on the past only distracts from the reforms needed to make Macedonians’ lives better through European integration. Macedonians deserve nothing less.”

Note to editors:

North Macedonia acquired EU candidate status in 2005, but progress in accession negotiations has been very slow, mainly due to internal political polarisation and bilateral disputes with neighbours Greece and Bulgaria. The country formally began accession negotiations in 2020.

Bilateral issues are also the reason why this is the European Parliament’s first report on North Macedonia since 2022.