by Tsvetelia Tsolova
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria’s parliament on Friday voted to lift the veto on North Macedonia’s membership of the European Union (EU), imposed in 2020 due to a long-running historical and cultural dispute.
This vote, which comes the day after the European Union granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, marks a new step towards EU enlargement.
Bulgarian lawmakers have given the government the go-ahead following adjustments to the framework text that would secure the rights of Bulgarians in the country through constitutional changes and commit Macedonian capital Skopje to maintaining good relations with Bulgaria .
However, the text should not contain any reference that could suggest that Bulgaria recognizes the Macedonian language, depending on the conditions attached to the approval.
The compromise was proposed by France, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union until the end of June.
Emmanuel Macron, President-in-Office of the EU, welcomed Friday at the end of the Brussels summit “obvious progress”.
“In the next few hours we will continue the technical work (…) in order to formalize an agreement in the very next few days”, specified the French president.
The EU’s position on eastern enlargement has evolved since Russia invaded Ukraine after years of resistance.
“This is the best offer Bulgaria has received so far. It offers European guarantees that Bulgarian interests will be protected,” said Elisaveta Belobradova, a member of the Democracy Bulgaria party.
Bulgaria’s EU and NATO allies have been pushing for a solution that strengthens Skopje’s European perspective and limits Russian influence in the Western Balkans.
However, North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski called the French proposals “unacceptable” in a Facebook post on Thursday.
EU reluctance to enlarge has slowed progress towards membership of a group of Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Prime Minister Kiril Petkov’s government was toppled on Wednesday, after his coalition lost its majority, partly over accusations that it was disregarding national interests in pushing for the veto to be lifted.
(Report Tsvetelia Tsolova, with the contribution of Ivana Sekularac, written by Michael Kahn and Alan Charlish, French version Kate Entringer, edited by Sophie Louet)