The largest opposition party in North Macedonia, the Social Democratic Union (SDSM), blamed the VMRO-DPMNE government and Prime Minister Christian Mickoski for the country’s stalled European path.

On the occasion of the disconnection of the accession process of North Macedonia from that of Albania and the start, today, of the accession negotiations of the EU with Albania, the SDSM estimated that “the interruption of the negotiations (of North Macedonia) with the EU is a great defeat for of failed policies of Mickoski and VMRO-DPMNE”.

“Both as opposition and as government, VMRO-DPMNE and Mickoski are consciously and deliberately blocking the country’s European path. We see the result of these misguided policies and diplomatic failures today. Albania moves on the EU path and North Macedonia enters a new period of uncertainty, with no plan for how to proceed» further commented the SDSM.

The leader of the opposition and largest Albanian party in North Macedonia, DUI, Ali Ahmeti, congratulated Albania on the start of accession negotiations with the EU.

“I also express my despair that North Macedonia is not today together with Albania on the European road, due to the blocking of our European path as a result of the non-implementation of the negotiating framework approved by the Council of the European Union for North Macedonia“, Ali Ahmedi also mentioned.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama also expressed his “regret” over the fact that North Macedonia did not start accession negotiations with the EU today, during his statements today in Luxembourg, after the conclusion of the EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference. .

“I feel ashamed when I think about the humiliation that North Macedonia is experiencing. They changed their name so they could start negotiations (with the EU). History cannot be a reason to stop the accession negotiations of any countryEddie Rama added.

It is recalled that Bulgaria has vetoed the start of North Macedonia’s accession negotiations with the EU.

North Macedonia’s European path remains stagnant mainly because Skopje has not fulfilled its obligations under an EU-brokered agreement.

The agreement provides that Bulgaria will lift its veto on the continuation of North Macedonia’s accession negotiations with the EU, on the condition that North Macedonia first amends its constitution to include the Bulgarian minority living in the country .

The previous centre-left SDSM government in North Macedonia had accepted the agreement but was unable to implement it as the amendment of the country’s Constitution requires a 2/3 majority from the Parliament and the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party of Christian Mickoski, which since last June took over the governance of the country, he does not consent to such a thing.

North Macedonia’s troubled relations with Bulgaria have worsened especially since VMRO-DPMNE took power in Skopje. The two countries have historical, ethnic and linguistic differences that span decades.