BRUSSELS – In a report adopted today by 40 votes in favour, 19 against and 10 abstentions, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament (AFET) commended North Macedonia’s commitment to European integration, encouraging it to continue reform efforts despite political challenges and public frustration. The document states that EU accession is ultimately “a matter of political will – both in enacting reforms and adopting constitutional amendments”.
The report will be submitted to a vote in the European Parliament during an upcoming plenary session. David McAllister, Chair of the AFET, noted that earlier this month AFET postponed the vote, stressing that he did not approve of personal attacks against Thomas Waitz, the EP’s Rapporteur for North Macedonia.
The vote on the report on North Macedonia was postponed in early June following a proposal by Waitz. Prior to it, Bulgarian MEPs and politicians expressed serious doubts about the report. According to Politico, all 17 representatives for Bulgaria in the European Parliament signed a letter denouncing Thomas Waitz, in charge of drafting the report.
Bulgarian government officials and members of the EP accused Waitz of “concealing lobbying meetings with North Macedonian officials, claiming he favored North Macedonia’s demands while leaking them confidential information and ignoring Bulgarian input”.
On the other hand, Waitz said he was being “targeted for not caving in to Bulgarian pressure”. He showed Politico several threatening messages he received after his phone number was leaked on Bulgarian extreme-right social media accounts.
Thomas Waitz: The report is well-balanced, North Macedonia belongs in the EU
Speaking about the report, Thomas Waitz (the Greens) noted that it was the first report on North Macedonia adopted in the AFET since 2022.
“I am proud of all the hard work that went into finding compromises so we could carry this well-balanced report with a broad political majority. The EU must stand united with its neighbours in the challenging geopolitical landscape we face. North Macedonia belongs in the EU. After 20 years of negotiations, we must keep up the current good momentum to further advance the enlargement process”, Waitz said.
MEPs warn that the political polarisation remains a key obstacle to the implementation of the reforms in North Macedonia. Therefore, they call on all political parties to engage in constructive dialogue to reach the required consensus, “which would strengthen the country’s multi-ethnic character and accelerate EU progress”.
MEPs welcome the new €750 million Reform and Growth Facility, commending North Macedonia’s ambitious agenda. They urge a strong focus on reform implementation, particularly in public administration, governance, the rule of law, and anti-corruption.
Noting worsening trends in high-level corruption and low public trust in the judiciary, the report calls for “stronger judicial independence, more accountability, and adequate resources for oversight bodies”.
In addition, MEPs express concern over foreign interference, especially from Russia and China, and warn of growing risks linked to opaque financial flows and coercive investments.
Finally, the report urges continued reform to ensure an independent and resilient media landscape, aligned with the European Media Freedom Act, and calls for “modernising a merit-based, depoliticised public administration”.