North Macedonia's EU bid stalled by Bulgaria dispute

North Macedonia's foreign minister Timco Mucunski told the Brussels portal Politiko that his country has become a "case study" of how bilateral disputes can block the European Union's enlargement process. He said Bulgaria is exploiting its EU member status to demand constitutional amendments that would recognise a Bulgarian minority, a demand Skopje refuses until it receives guarantees that it will be the last such bilateral condition in accession talks.

Mucunski noted that, unlike Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova, North Macedonia has not opened any negotiation chapters since it began accession talks in 2022. He called for a fair, predictable and credible path to full EU membership and compared the situation to the Ireland‑United Kingdom relationship, arguing that Bulgaria benefits most from any progress North Macedonia makes.

The minister stressed that North Macedonia has been aligned with EU foreign policy since 2005 and deserves a place in the bloc, but the ongoing dispute with Bulgaria is delaying its progress.