North Macedonia’s EU Negotiation Tango: A Comedic Commentary
Ah, the Minister of Health of North Macedonia, Arben Taravari. One minute he’s diagnosing the nation’s ailments, the next he’s whispering sweet nothings about EU membership into the ears of Western Balkans. If optimism was a currency, he’d have a monopoly right now. I mean, who needs a stable government when you’ve got a dream, right?
In an enlightening tête-à-tête on MРT1, Taravari, with the delicacy of a surgeon, suggested he’d leave the heavy lifting to Prime Minister Hristian Mickoski. I can’t help but wonder if that’s a polite way of saying, “I’m really hoping you’ve got this covered, buddy.” After all, optimism in politics is a bit like wearing Crocs to a black-tie event — it stands out, but you’re not sure whether it’s brave or just a terrible mistake.
Now, what’s this about a “negotiation framework that cannot be changed”? Sounds like someone just got a shiny new toy and refused to share it with the other kids on the block. Amidst constitutional changes and securing guarantees, Taravari made it clear that he’s not in the mood for any extra toppings on his political pizza. “Please, no more obstacles,” he requests, as if he were ordering a smoothie without kale. Who can blame him? If I had to deal with endless bureaucratic hurdles, I’d be searching for guarantees, too!
But let’s not forget about Bulgaria and its notoriously unstable government. It’s like playing a game of Jenga with really wobbly blocks. Taravari mused that if Bulgaria were a bit more like a well-oiled machine, they might be closer to negotiating some kind of agreement. It’s almost as if he’s asking, “Can we get a little organization in here?!” I don’t know about you, but I’d advise bringing a full toolbox if you’re going to collaborate across borders!
With Albania already ahead in negotiations, you can practically hear Taravari saying, “Well, good for them… but can’t we all just have a group hug and negotiate together?” A parallel negotiating process sounds lovely in theory, but let’s be honest — it’s like when your friends decide to do a dance-off, but you haven’t even learned the moves yet. Awkwardness ensues.
“Elections are coming up in Bulgaria,” he said, dipping his toes into the murky waters of political predictions. Skepticism abounds; he’s not exactly throwing confetti and planning a parade, is he? But there’s always that sliver of hope wrapped in a pessimistic embrace. Just remember, folks, hope is good, but it won’t bake you a cake. You need a plan for that!
This brings us to the ticking clock of the EU negotiation process. Taravari seems awfully concerned about the upcoming local elections — almost as though he’s presenting a delicately balanced soufflé, and the last thing he needs is for someone to open the oven door too soon. If VLEN heads to the election without clear progress on the European front, I can only imagine the fallout. Not exactly what you want hanging over your campaign like a dark cloud!
When it comes to optimism, Taharavi has it in spades, but let’s hope it doesn’t turn into a long, drawn-out optimism-a-thon. Because nobody likes a drawn-out drama, especially when the stakes are so high. Will North Macedonia join the EU or will they be stuck watching from the sidelines? One thing’s for sure: with all this back-and-forth, it’s sounding less like a negotiation and more like an episode of a political soap opera.
And hey, if nothing else, we can all look forward to seeing how this reality show unfolds — grab your popcorn, folks!
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The Minister of Health of North Macedonia, Arben Taravari, who is one of the leaders of the ruling coalition of Albanian parties VLEN, is optimistic that “very soon” North Macedonia will open the first cluster in the negotiations with the EU and all the countries of the Western Balkans together will join the European Union, BTA reported.
In an interview on MРT1, Taravari said he was leaving it to the country’s Prime Minister Hristian Mickoski to explain what was behind his words, and that after the recent Berlin Process summit he was more optimistic. He pointed out that he is glad that Mickoski is “European-oriented and wants (Northern) Macedonia to start negotiations as soon as possible, but as Prime Minister he is still looking for some guarantees that the country will not have other obstacles.”
“We are aware that the negotiation framework cannot be changed and (Northern) Macedonia needs changes in the constitution, but the state also needs some guarantee that this will be the last condition. If we continue like this, different countries can put the most -different conditions. I think a solution will be found that will be acceptable to (Northern) Macedonia, because the dispute is no longer with Bulgaria. It is a request of the EU, and it is indisputable that we have to make the changes in the constitution to start negotiations, but at the same time we need a guarantee, at least from the centers of influence in the world, that nothing will be asked of us again that the changes in the constitution take effect after the country becomes a member of the EU,” Taravari said.
Taravari evaluates this proposal of Hristijan Mickoski as possible. In response to a question about whether Bulgaria would accept it, he stated that “everything is complicated by the fact that there is no stable government in Bulgaria”.
“If there was a stable government, I am convinced that we would be somewhat closer to finding an acceptable solution and maybe we would start negotiations together with Albania,” Taravari said.
When asked to what extent the government’s behavior in Skopje buys time to cushion the blow from the fact that Albania has already started negotiations, Taravari replied that “there are chances that the negotiations with the EU will run in parallel, although Albania is a step ahead of North Macedonia.”
“It’s not good that we split up, but it’s good that Albania started negotiations (with the EU). However, I don’t think it’s about buying time. We are looking for the moment, we need some kind of guarantee for the state and to start the negotiations. I hope that the negotiations with Albania will continue in parallel, I am very optimistic about that and I still think that all the countries of the Western Balkans will join the EU at the same time,” Taravari said.
Before the elections, VLEN stated that they were giving a period of six months to advance the negotiation process with the EU.
In response to a question related to this term, Taravari indicated that it expired in December and was necessary “for the adaptation and synchronization of the government” and as a period to see “what is the situation in the neighboring countries and specifically in Bulgaria”.
“Elections are coming up in Bulgaria and we should possibly expect a stable government, although I am a skeptic. After that, however, we need to have a plan of action and know what will be done. I am optimistic that we will start the negotiation procedure with the EU”, said Taravari, according to whom “it is not good for VLEN to go to local elections (in the autumn of next year – note) without a decision on the European path of (North ) Macedonia”.
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