Bulgaria‑North Macedonia protocol dispute stalls EU accession talks
The second protocol of the 2017 Treaty of Friendship between Bulgaria and North Macedonia was signed on 17 July 2022 in Sofia by foreign ministers Theodora Gencheva and Buyar Osmani. The agreement obliges Skopje to enshrine rights for the Bulgarian minority, combat hate speech, open communist‑era archives and ensure equal access to justice.
North Macedonian officials now describe the protocol as the principal obstacle to the start of EU accession negotiations. Implementation has stalled: constitutional amendments required to insert Bulgarians into the basic law have not been enacted, and promised measures against discrimination remain unfulfilled. President Gordana Siljanovska said, “Relations with Bulgaria are so deteriorated that they seem cut off,” while Gencheva called the July meeting “extremely useful.” The dispute continues to dominate bilateral talks and draws repeated reminders from EU institutions that negotiations can only begin once the protocol’s provisions are applied.
The impasse reflects broader political tension, with Macedonian leaders accusing Bulgaria of shifting demands and Bulgarian officials emphasizing the need for compliance. The ongoing disagreement threatens the speed of North Macedonia’s EU integration path.