Macedonia and Her Difficult Neighbours on the Path to the EU Cover Image

Najważniejsze problemy Macedonii w procesie integracji z Unią Europejską
Macedonia and Her Difficult Neighbours on the Path to the EU

Author(s): Mladen Karadzoski, Artur Adamczyk
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment
Published by: Centrum Europejskie Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: enlargement of the EU; foreign policy of FYROM; Greece; Bulgaria

Summary/Abstract: Since 1991, when Macedonia became independent, integration with Western structures – the European Union and the NATO – has been its main foreign policy objective. All Macedonian governments have consistently worked towards implementing the political, economic and social reforms required by the Copenhagen criteria. To a certain extent, the EU appreciated Macedonia’s efforts: in 2005, it granted Macedonia, known as FYROM, the status of a candidate country. However, the implementation of internal reforms alone has proved insufficient to commence the accession negotiations. The path to the EU is still blocked by unsettled issues with Greece and Bulgaria. The government in Athens demands that Macedonia settle the dispute over its name and accuses it of appropria- ting Greek historical heritage. Sofia, in turn, accuses Skopje of falsifying history and discriminating against the Bulgarian minority living on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia.

  • Issue Year: 2014
  • Issue No: 17
  • Page Range: 209-225
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Polish