Thewesternbalkans
The announced main priorities of the new coalition government in the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM), led by the chairman of VMRO-DPMNE, Hristiyan Mickoski, are the accession to the EU, reforms in the field of justice and the fight against corruption, as well as the attraction of foreign investments. The Mickoski government has significant executive power and has the necessary majority in parliament to implement vital national reforms if it has the political will.
As one can expect, personnel changes have begun in Skopje in the state institutions that maintain communication and carry out negotiations with the enlargement structures in Brussels. Not all senior staff in these units will be replaced to make the transition smoother. A new chief negotiator is also being sought by Skopje.
The RNM’s steps towards European integration go through the overcoming of the bilateral disputes with Greece and Bulgaria – respectively the observance of the Prespa Agreement and the inclusion of the Bulgarians as state’s founding peoples in the country’s constitution. The leadership of VMRO-DPMNE is aware that the amendments to the constitution are the focal point of the EU, whose representatives, including at the highest level, have repeatedly emphasized that they are a prerequisite for the RNM to move forward on the path to the EU. However, changes to the constitution are not expected before the country’s local elections in 2025.
Mickoski regularly attacks Greece and Bulgaria and even the EU, pointing out that Brussels sets new and new conditions for North Macedonia, which has “done everything, as no other nation in Europe has done.” “Now Europe must do something for us,” is Mickoski’s appeal. VMRO-DPMNE continues to insist on guarantees from Brussels that there will be no new demands on North Macedonia.
In addition, the North Macedonian government offers the EU a solution for delayed implementation of the membership condition, i.e. constitutional changes. Skopje is also counting on replacing the principle of unanimity in EU decision-making with the “minus one person in the room” formula.
At a press conference during the last NATO summit in Washington, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis once again warned North Macedonia that failure to comply with the Prespa agreement between the two countries would jeopardize the Balkan country’s path to EU membership.
North Macedonian Prime Minister Mickoski countered that Greece is the one not complying with the agreement and that compliance is a two-way street. Mickoski complained that there is no real support from Greece for the RNM’s integration within the Euro-Atlantic structures. The firm position of Skopje is illustrated by the words of Mickoski: “In the Macedonian government, you will not see politicians who are ready to twist their backs, rob their people, and on the other hand, try to please, without any argumentation, the interlocutors, in this case our neighbors.”
The positive impression of the new prime minister’s use of the RNM’s constitutional name when taking the oath of office in parliament was erased by the government’s repeated use of the name “Macedonia” and “Macedonian” in public and international appearances.
It is favorable for North Macedonia that the major EU member states are at this stage reluctant to satisfy Albania’s wish to separate from the package with PNM, even though Tirana considers itself to be more advanced in the integration process.
Under the previous administration of the SDSM, there were no significant reforms in the field of the judicial system in the RNM. In its Report on the state of play of the accession process with North Macedonia, issued on 8 of November 2023, the European Commission has pointed out that the judicial system of RNM is in between some and moderate level of preparation. There was no progress on the judiciary during 2023. The lack of measures to address the impact of scheduled retirements affected efficiency. Most promotions for higher courts faced further delays.
In the RNM, institutional efforts are being made to fight corruption, which is on an upward trajectory, according to Transparency International’s index. The country has a relatively good separation of powers compared to its Western Balkan neighbors, which is favorable for the success of anti-corruption reforms. However, this can also become a weakness if the executive is compromised by the personal interests of party leaders and their protégés. In North Macedonia, 76 percent of the population think the judiciary does not have the will or desire to fight corruption.
An important requirement of the EU to Skopje is that the independence and functioning of the judicial system should not be questioned. In the program of the new RNM government, there are some ideas about the country’s judicial system, such as the dissolution of the judicial and prosecutorial councils and the restructuring of the academy for magistrates, which are disturbing.
In 2023, the EU carried out a peer review of the judicial system of the RNM. The new authorities declare their intention to adhere to the recommendations made by the European experts and to work towards their implementation. Reforms in the judicial system are key to the political system in the RNM. Some of the reformers, however, may be hiding part of their motivation, because it is related to the desire to privatize the judicial system.
The government states that joining the EU is an important priority, but it remains to be seen how this priority relates to the reform intentions declared in its programme. It is important that the new leadership of the RNM continues the work on the roadmaps and the Action Plan on the rights of persons belonging to minorities and communities. Only then will it be possible to open Cluster 1 (“Fundamentals”) of the accession process of North Macedonia to the European Union, which contains the main fundamental issues, such as justice, reforms in the judicial system, the fight against corruption, the functioning of democratic institutions, economic reforms An important requirement of the EU to the PCM is that the independence and functioning of the judicial system should not be questioned. In the program of the new RSM government, there are some ideas about the country’s judicial system, such as the dissolution of the judicial and prosecutorial councils and the restructuring of the academy for magistrates, which are disturbing.
In 2023, the EU carried out a peer review of the judicial system of the RSM. The new authorities declare their intention to adhere to the recommendations made by the European experts and to work towards their implementation. Reforms in the judicial system are key to the political system in the RSM. Some of the reformers, however, may be hiding part of their motivation, because it is related to the desire to privatize the judicial system.
The government states that joining the EU is an important priority, but it remains to be seen how this priority relates to the reform intentions declared in its programme. It is important that the new leadership of the RSM continues the work on the roadmaps and the Action Plan on the rights of persons belonging to minorities and communities. Only then will it be possible to open Cluster 1 (“Fundamentals”) of the accession process of North Macedonia to the European Union, which contains the main fundamental issues, such as justice, reforms in the judicial system, the fight against corruption, the functioning of democratic institutions, economic reforms .
Despite doubts over the sincerity of the EU in offering accession are widespread among the population of North Macedonia, 68% support EU accession. Due to the prolonged stagnation of the European integration process in the WB and the lack of prospects for progress, the authorities are cautious about the difficult reforms. If the new government does not want to fulfill the commitments made earlier through the negotiating framework and the Prespa Agreement, it is uncertain whether the country will advance in European integration..
Despite doubts over the sincerity of the EU in offering accession are widespread among the population of North Macedonia, 68% support EU accession. Due to the prolonged stagnation of the European integration process in the WB and the lack of prospects for progress, the authorities are cautious about the difficult reforms. If the new government does not want to fulfill the commitments made earlier through the negotiating framework and the Prespa Agreement, it is uncertain whether the country will advance in European integration.
