Streets in Skopje, North Macedonia, stopped on Friday because of of protests against Proposed settlement deal with Bulgaria that will in the end allow Balkan country begin The long-awaited European Union membership talks.
Friday hundreds of people parked vehicles Around government buildings in The center of Scooby as well on Many other regional roads. The daily protests that started at the beginning of This week in times violently, causing injuries to at least 10 protesters and dozens of demonstrators of Police officers. No injuries were reported at Friday’s demonstration.
North Macedonia was a candidate for European Union membership for 17 years old, but approval is blocked first Greece and now Bulgaria, which North Macedonia wants to recognize and share a Bulgarian minority history with Bulgarian language.
A 2017 agreement to change the country’s name from Macedonia to North Macedonia ended the conflict with Greece seemed to open the door for European Union membership talks. However, Bulgaria, another EU member state, submitted its veto in 2020 over history And the language The issues that North Macedonian opponents say attack they national identification.
France, which took over the presidency of the European Union up Until July, drafting a proposal last A month to amend North Macedonia’s constitution to recognize a Bulgarian minority, while the remaining issues will be discussed between Skopje and Sofia. The proposal does not require Bulgaria to recognize Macedonia language.
Bulgarian parliament Lifted the veto last which month also caused turbulence in The country led to the withdrawal of confidence vote that dropped government.
North Macedonia parliament The proposal is expected to be discussed next week.
“We will never and will not accept this treaty because it contradicts,” he added of our national “The interest is against our identity,” said leader Hristian Mikoski. of biggest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, which supports invocation.
Similarly, the protester Aka Stanisheva against The settlement agreement, saying it was not a European deal but a Bulgarian proposal.
“The government should Stanisheva told Reuters.
Politician analyst Petar Arsovsky believes that the proposal is both good And the bad for North Macedonia.
“that it good in Meaning that it offers start of membership conversations but the downside is that there is no principle of Reciprocity and Bulgaria is not obligated to recognize the Macedonian minority.”
. said framework for Bilateral talks will enable both countries to me resolve All national Issues.
North Macedonia was the only one former Yugoslavia leave the union peacefully. But in 2001 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pulled North Macedonia from the brink of Civil war during the ethnic Albanian insurgency and the promise of faster integration into the European Union and NATO.
Balkan country joined NATO in 2020 but has not yet opened accession talks with European Union.
