North Macedonia

Threats, insults and gender-based violence draw little response

Threats to journalist safety remain one of the greatest challenges to media freedom in the Balkans.

In the online environment, this issue is only exacerbated, as demonstrated by the cases BIRN has documented in the reporting period.

There is no reciprocity in this latter demand, despite repeated judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg calling on Bulgaria to recognise a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, which successive Bulgarian governments have ignored.

On the Brink

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov arrives for the European Council Summit in Brussels, Belgium, 24 March 2022.-EFE/JULIEN WARNAND

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.

The Open Balkans initiative members held another meeting last week in Ohrid, North Macedonia.

Representatives of Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia signed another set of documents - an agreement on recognition of diplomas and three memoranda of understanding on various topics.

"The topic of North Macedonia was brought up today to distract attention. The news of the day is that the Interdepartmental Commission of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works discovered illegal constructions worth BGN 2.5 billion, and this money had to be paid through the budget increase requested by the regional ministry."

The hearing of the resigned Foreign Minister Teodora Gencovska in parliament on the process of North Macedonia's accession to the EU and the decision-making to approve a negotiating framework has escalated into a scandal. For more than three hours, the deputies have been debating whether the procedure should be only in open session or in a closed one.

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.

It's always a good idea to come to the fresh air and crystalline waters of Lake Ohrid, one of the most beautiful places in Europe.  Unfortunately, the reason for last week's gathering of leaders from the region - 'Open Balkan' - is not a good idea. In fact, it's not even a good name.

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.