Skopje

Just two days after the ousting of PM Kiril Petkov in a no-confidence vote, Bulgarian legislators on Friday adopted a declaration which would allow their government to potentially lift its veto on starting EU membership talks for neighbouring North Macedonia.

The Assembly of Bulgaria discussed today the decision accepting the proposal of the French Presidency of the EU regarding the negotiating framework for North Macedonia and Albania.

"Exactly 19 years ago, at the Thessaloniki Summit, the way was opened for the Western Balkans to join the European family. Unfortunately, since then, the progress that has been made, in practice, is minimal.

The French presidency's proposal to resolve the dispute shook the Macedonian government after three small parties threatened to leave if the cabinet approved a draft sent to the Bulgarian parliament to end the dispute between Skopje and Sofia.

Slavi Trifonov's actions are against the background of a tangible public reluctance for new sharp political movements - the public background is not in favor of new elections and even government changes. The new French proposal for North Macedonia came amid a continuing firm belief that Skopje has not done enough to remove Bulgaria's "block".

As France made last-ditch efforts to unclog North Macedonia's stalled EU accession process, currently blocked by Bulgaria, ahead of this week's EU summit, North Macedonian experts expressed strong doubts about the French proposal.

The leader of the Macedonian opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski, said that if Bulgaria's demands are included in the EU's negotiating framework for membership, Skopje would be better off refusing to apply to the Union.

Prime Minister Kiril Petkov has proposed that parliament resolve all issues on the topic with the Republic of North Macedonia, including whether or not to lift the veto for Skopje's talks with the European Union. This is one of the points that the Prime Minister proposed for a vote at the beginning of today's government session.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Sofia that he strongly supports an agreement to start EU accession talks between the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania.

The Bulgarian veto on the start of negotiations for the membership of North Macedonia in the EU is expected to be the main topic of today's visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Bulgaria.

He arrives in Sofia from Skopje, where he told North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski this morning that the country is ready to start EU membership talks.