North Macedonia to Amend Constitution for EU Accession through Bulgarian Influence
The government of North Macedonia has accepted a proposal on Tuesday to amend the constitution in order to incorporate the Bulgarian minority into the Fundamental Law. This decision, published on the website of the North Macedonian government, is in accordance with Bulgaria's requirements and will facilitate North Macedonia's future accession to the EU.
The proposal to amend the Constitution was prepared by a working group consisting of experts, leading professors from several universities in the country, as well as representatives of political parties. The proposed text received unanimous support from the working group, following which the item was included in the agenda of today's government session at the proposal of the Ministry of Justice.
The proposed changes entail adding several other nations of North Macedonia to the preamble and Articles 49 and 78 of the Constitution. To amend the constitution, the support of two-thirds of the members of parliament in Skopje is required.
In the text, "Citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Macedonian people, part of the Albanian people, the Turkish people, the Vlach people, the Serbian people, the Roma people, the Bosniak people, and others" after the words "Bosniak people," a comma is placed, and the following is added: Bulgarian people, Croatian people, Montenegrin people, Slovenian people, Jewish people, and Egyptian people.
By adopting these changes, the country hopes to move into a new, more significant phase of negotiations for EU accession.
The government called on all deputies to be constructive and responsible in supporting the constitutional changes within the negotiation program with the European Union.
"Such a decision by the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia will allow for the second intergovernmental conference with the EU by December 2023, open chapters in negotiations, activate reforms, and expedite EU membership," the government stated.
For many years, Bulgaria has blocked the start of negotiations for North Macedonia's EU accession due to disputes over the shared history of both countries.
Last year, an agreement was reached to lift the blockade from Bulgaria in exchange for a series of measures from Skopje, including a plan to amend the constitution to include the Bulgarian minority.
On July 19, 2022, North Macedonia began accession negotiations with the European Union.