Bulgaria’s Threat to Block North Macedonia’s European Integration
Bulgaria’s Threat to Block North Macedonia’s European Integration

Author(s): Jakub Pieńkowski, Tomasz Żornaczuk
Subject(s): Politics, International relations/trade, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: Bulgaria; North Macedonia; EU: integration; block; threat;
Summary/Abstract: Bulgaria has threatened to block the intergovernmental conference proposed by the European Commission(EC) for December 2020 that is intended to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia. The Bulgarian authorities want to force this country to officially recognise the existence of the Macedonian nation and language through its interpretation of history as the result of the denationalisation of local Bulgarians during the Yugoslavia period. Bulgaria expects its EU partners to support its position. Bulgaria’s actions, motivated by domestic politics, complicates the policy of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, supported by Poland.

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