Selim Ibraimi- The Balkan region is trying to change despite EU support. The only hope is that the leadership will bring the required change from both inside and outside. Will the current leadership be able to do more to embrace the future? This is the question that has remained open for years. It has not been resolved with European taxpayers’ money. Nor has it been resolved by visits by senior European officials to the Balkans.
In North Macedonia in particular, with the new government, domestic and foreign political issues are not being resolved. Some problems here have nothing to do with Europeans. The government in Skopje intensifies ethnic and identity issues. This intensification is seen as a way to slow down reforms. These reforms are, as is well known, being implemented with great difficulty.
Compared to neighboring countries, North Macedonia has stalled in many ways in starting talks with the EU. Now it is no longer just the open problems with Bulgaria. For foreigners, it seems absurd. The issue of constitutional amendments can hinder practical solutions to open interethnic problems.
The highway or the road connecting North Macedonia with Kosovo continues to remain only in promises. Corridor 8 continues in a terrible state. Let’s not write anything about the Tetovo-Prizren connection. Let’s not expand further into the health sector. Doctors manage to profit large sums without dedicating care to patients. In those serious cases of violations of health practices, the judiciary has failed.
Citizens encounter difficulties in public services. A problem requires friendly relations. Of course, it also requires financial resources. This is the other side of the problem. The state of educational institutions is known. As long as the old continues, then we are not dealing with Europe, nor with standards.
Hope for the best has clearly been lost. Chaos has been given space. There is a lack of law enforcement. Recent polls in North Macedonia showed that the Macedonian population’s trust in the EU has increased.
The change is a good sign. However, trends show the government in Skopje is not interested in moving things forward. The government has unwisely opened a new front in domestic relations. This action could derail EU integration by dealing with side issues.
The EU has shown interest in doing more for the Balkans. This is despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and the economic downturn. Their interest is evident through the Berlin Process and the Growth Plan. Meanwhile, governments in the Balkans, especially North Macedonia, have stalled. According to assessments in Skopje, they seem to be openly unwilling to move forward.
Now what else can the EU do? German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said at the Munich Security Conference in Germany: “We need to reopen a new strategy. This will help us bring these countries closer to the EU.”
The smallest things are not ready to be done by the government. Their focus is on corruption and bad deeds, which is absurd. The worst thing is that in public opinion, the same officials and former officials are presented as good people.
Things have not gone in the right direction. Promises have remained only in dry before-election speeches. The people in the government who took responsibility do not have much to say. For example, relations with Sofia have not shown any progress. However, the government can improve on other issues. It can focus on the implementation of laws that protect relations between the two communities and vulnerable groups, etc.
If we work with dedication and fairness now, the government will be ready. This will prepare us for opening chapters with the EU when the time comes. After all, we should not work for the EU; the commitment should be for ourselves.
There is a lot to talk about. We need to address the terrible state of education. The conditions in the healthcare system require attention. The pension system is also a concern. Moreover, there are other illegal actions to consider. Therefore, the EU should not come to us; we should work to be a normal country. Elected officials are for this, but the dilemma remains whether they are fulfilling their obligations properly.
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