For the first time in a decade, the common path of the two countries towards the E.U. is interrupted and each goes its own way. This was deemed necessary due to the conflict between the current Skopje government, dominated by the extreme nationalist party VMRO, and Bulgaria.
In 2020, Sofia blocked the start of EU accession negotiations. with North Macedonia, linking the lifting of the veto to the constitutional recognition by the Skopians of the Bulgarian minority in that country. Finally in 2022, with the mediation of the EU, the two countries agreed with the then government of North Macedonia to commit to constitutional recognition of the Bulgarian minority.
Then the extremists came to power in Skopje with Prime Minister Christian Mickoski wanting to renegotiate with the Bulgarians, which Sofia flatly rejected by restoring the veto.
It is recalled that all this developed alongside the questioning on the part of the Skopje government and the Prespa Agreement with Greece. It is understood that Greece will in turn veto if the Mickoski government violates the Agreement. For now, Bulgaria’s veto is sufficient, leaving North Macedonia out of negotiations.
The accession process of the two countries had been linked by the Europeans politically due to the problematic relations that existed inside North Macedonia between Albanians and Macedonians. In other words, it was considered that the joint integration of the two countries would also work positively in the relations between the two ethnicities.
The disconnection of the accession process from the EU, which was decided in the previous days by the ambassadors of the “27”, was a one-way street after the refusal of the Skopje government to respect the agreement with Bulgaria. It will have very serious implications for North Macedonia’s accession process, given that when Albania negotiates, Skopje will remain in the EU lobby, where they have been since 2006, when they were designated as a candidate country.
THE BELERI CASE AND THE GREEK VETO RIGHT
The difficult journey for Tirana begins
Regarding Albania, according to the letter sent by the E.U. in Tirana, accession negotiations will begin on October 15 in Brussels, at the ministerial level, where the first chapters of the acquis communautaire will be officially opened. Albania was declared a candidate country in 2014.
It is recalled that due to the pre-trial detention of the then elected mayor of Chemarra, Fredis Beleris, Greece had delayed the start of accession negotiations by not giving its consent to the sending of the letter for the start of accession negotiations. With the release of Beleris, our country gave us the “green light” and the letter was sent to Tirana.
Based on the new methodology, the accession negotiations are divided into six thematic areas: 1) fundamental principles (rule of law), 2) internal market, 3) competitiveness and inclusive growth, 4) green agenda and sustainable connectivity, 5) resources , agriculture and cohesion, 6) external relations.
Negotiations on fundamental principles will be the first to open and the last to close, and the overall pace of negotiations will depend on progress in these areas.
It goes without saying that the accession path of each candidate country is reversible in all phases. Any member state of the E.U. it can block the negotiations at any stage if it considers that the acquis communautaire is not respected with respect to human rights, including the rights of minorities which are a top priority for Europeans.
Therefore, the start of the accession negotiations in no way negates the right of Greece to block them in case of delinquent behavior on the Albanian side. The right of veto is valid until the last day before joining the EU.
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