Selim Ibraimi- European policies in the Balkan countries are understood as a way to produce documents and never implement them. Governments ask for money from the EU and, of course, never take responsibility. On the other hand, government officials say that they work for EU integration every day. But the truth is different. The governments tasked with making changes are far from the EU recommendations. Current events show that reforms have not significantly improved. There is also no progress toward the goal of being part of the EU.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, recently appeared in parliament. This event showed something important. It demonstrated that the government and officials are not interested in European demands. Without a different policy, of course, there can be no start to opening chapters. Prime Minister Mickoski said, “There will be no constitutional changes while I am prime minister. For changes to occur, at least two conditions must be met. The first is that the Macedonian community in Bulgaria receives guaranteed rights. The second condition refers to guarantees that there will be no bilateral veto, belittling, and humiliation for subjective reasons”.
We have seen such rhetoric and stances not only from the current prime minister. Since its independence, North Macedonian officials have been pursuing inappropriate strategies. Local analysts have characterized politicians of this type as leaders with the mentality of 20th-century politics. The same politicians and government officials have been following trajectories of the same logic. Their plan regarding open issues has affected the citizens. It has also impacted the daily economy. The time and energy wasted by the citizens of North Macedonia cannot be measured.
Citizens want to one day become part of the EU. However, the wishes and projects of the officials differ from the will of the majority of the population. Some official projects are against the majority’s preferences. But one thing here seems to be taking a different direction. In the current blockade with Bulgaria, recent polls show that ethnic Macedonian citizens have started to change their minds. The percentage of confidence in joining the EU has increased. They have started to become aware as a community. They are beginning to align with the ideas of Albanians in North Macedonia. This alignment is happening to some extent regarding the EU integration process.
Marko Troshanovski from the Institute for Democracy in Skopje, during a presentation of the findings of a survey conducted in October-November 2025, said: “The results mark a significant increase in support for the EU, especially among ethnic Macedonian citizens. It is certainly high. 71 percent is not an insignificant figure, but considering that it reached 90 percent at the beginning of this millennium, this support has nevertheless fallen. The survey shows that constitutional changes are necessary, but not a priority. The resistance of our citizens to constitutional changes is great. However, the objective reality is not entirely like that. We all agree that constitutional changes will open the door for us, but the guarantees that this process will continue to be objective are subject to different perceptions.”
Mihalis Rokas, the EU ambassador to North Macedonia, said: “If we compare it with last year, the results give us a big boost, namely, the percentage of the population that is in favor of membership has increased to 71 percent, which is an increase of 10 percent compared to 2024.”
“Also, the support among young people is greater, which means that it is very important that young people also support it; that is, that young people show that this is the future.”
Despite these small positive movements, Prime Minister Mickoski’s speech in the parliament showed that constitutional changes will not happen. We will not have serious reforms for a long time.
Meanwhile, the EU must maintain a tough stance in this context. Despite being busy with other issues, there can be no EU integration without changes and reforms. EU taxpayers cannot be part of the abuses and calculations of politicians in the Balkans and in North Macedonia. This must end. Being in the dreams of the past and not taking serious steps is the worst-case scenario for North Macedonia. And not only in domestic matters, but also for the country’s position at the regional level, and much more.
The percentage of EU integration compared to previous years is slightly higher among ethnic Macedonians. The ethnic issue seems to have united Macedonians in views on identity. This unity is an argument that external and internal factors have influenced the minds of Macedonian citizens. If the government of North Macedonia had a different view and approach, citizens would naturally support the final French draft. They would also favor the decision on constitutional changes.
The current situation is unlikely to change. It is difficult to share the hope with the current government that EU integration will happen. Government officials have said many good words about North Macedonia being ahead of Albania. They state the goal is the EU, but the reality is challenging for the country. The country suffers from high corruption, biased courts, and fragile interethnic relations. It also faces high unemployment but excels at revisionism. The government of Prime Minister Mickoski is seeking stronger guarantees in the EU and the US to go further.
So far, there are no clear signals from either Washington or Brussels. North Macedonia has been a candidate country for the EU since 2005. Negotiations opened in July 2022. The French proposal required the government in Skopje to make the necessary changes. These changes aimed to include the Bulgarian minority in the constitution. To date, few attempts have addressed the demand for normalized relations with Bulgaria. Additionally, opening chapters with the EU has also seen very few efforts. The blockade continues, causing official Sofia not let go.
The EU is expected to take an initiative in the spring to move the issue forward. However, if officials in Skopje remain stuck in old memories of the 20th century, progress will be difficult. Good news will not be forthcoming. Officials must look forward to making positive progress. In the past and now, government officials in Skopje have talked a lot about European integration. They have shown little success. Reasoning has been the only way to respond to wrong judgments. Wrongdoings have not been acknowledged. Injustice has been given its due. And ultimately, what can be expected from this chronic state of affairs? Stagnation is the reality seen in North Macedonia.
The article was written exclusively for Portalb.mk. The publication rights are only owned by Portalb.mk and the author, according to the agreement between them.