The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs has postponed a vote on North Macedonia’s progress toward EU accession following a last-minute withdrawal of support by the European People’s Party, citing concerns over identity and language issues.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs decided to delay voting on a report evaluating North Macedonia’s progress towards accession to the European Union. The report was scheduled for a vote alongside similar reports for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Georgia. While the reports for those countries were adopted, North Macedonia’s was blocked due to a last-minute disagreement among political groups.
Austrian MEP Thomas Waitz of the Greens/EFA group, who drafted the report, announced the postponement after the European People’s Party (EPP)—the largest group in the Parliament—requested a delay and withdrew its support the day before the scheduled vote. Parliamentary sources indicated that the EPP had originally agreed to the report’s content but changed its position, leaving the report without enough votes for approval.
The EPP’s shift was prompted by its Bulgarian members, who expressed concerns about the report’s mention of “recognition of Macedonian identity and language.” EPP MEP Andrey Kovatchev stated, “The report mentions the ‘recognition of Macedonian identity and language,’ which could lead to misunderstanding and wrong interpretation. We want more clarity on this point.”
Kovatchev’s party, Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, disagrees with recent comments by North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski regarding the country’s “centuries-old Macedonian identity and the unique Macedonian language.” While these remarks are not contained in the report, the EPP called for further clarification.
The identity and language dispute between North Macedonia and Bulgaria has been a longstanding barrier in Skopje’s EU accession process. In 2022, the EU incorporated Bulgaria’s demands into its conclusions related to North Macedonia’s accession, aiming to overcome Sofia’s veto. North Macedonia was required to amend its Constitution to include the Bulgarian minority, a step that has not yet been finalized.
The draft report notes North Macedonia’s “excellent and ambitious reform agenda” and its commitment to EU integration and alignment with EU policies, but it also highlights bilateral challenges with Bulgaria over identity and language.
Thomas Waitz stated, “Some Bulgarian MEPs have taken this accession progress report hostage for their domestic nationalistic agenda.” He also reported receiving intimidation and threatening messages in the days leading up to the vote, describing them as part of “a smear campaign designed to slow down North Macedonia's EU accession process.” Waitz’s office confirmed that his phone number was leaked online, and he received several aggressive messages accusing him of being influenced by North Macedonia’s government.
Waitz emphasized that he worked for a “well-balanced and impartial report” and that all political groups in the European Parliament were involved in the negotiations.
The vote on the North Macedonia accession report is expected to be rescheduled for 24 June.
