EU integration is the next objective for North Macedonia
After NATO membership, the next objective for North Macedonia is to become an EU member. Fight against corruption, reforms in the justice system, a state administration which is not politicized and the involvement of civil society in decision making are some of the conditions that Brussels has imposed on authorities in Skopje. Nevertheless, the country’s Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev is optimistic. “June of this year is decisive for the opening of accession talks with the European Union”, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev ahead of tomorrow’s visit to Brussels which aims at evaluating the process of European integration.
EU ambassador to Skopje, Samuel Zbogar has mentioned the need to deliver the obligations.
“I expect member countries to take a positive decision in June in order for North Macedonia to launch accession talks with the EU. We will evaluate the reforms first and in June, we will make a decision about the accession talks”, Zbogar said.
But, president of the country, Gjorge Ivanov is seen as an obstacle for this process, because he has not signed the bills concerning the reforms that the country’s parliament has approved. Ivanov’s office argues that the new bills have not been signed, because they’ve been voted under the new name North Macedonia, which the president does not recognize. Experts of political affairs in Skopje say that after the solution of the name dispute with Greece and after the agreement that was signed with Bulgaria, North Macedonia is now in a very strong position to launch accession talks with the EU.