When will Macedonia enter the EU?
I of course have no idea, but I did this interview for the Macedonian daily Vecer, which published it yesterday. Maybe it sheds some light on the question, if not the answer:
Q. After the European Council did not adopt the Commission’s recommendation to begin negotiations with Macedonia last year, you recommended that “the bicycle must move, so as not to fall,” warning that the enlargement process may be terminated if it is slow. Again, Macedonia, for the fifth time had a recommendation for starting accession negotiations with the EU. Do you expect that the Council in December will finally accept it and will grant Macedonia a date?
A. No, not unless there is a solution of the “name” problem. Greece seems determined to continue to block a date without that. But the High Level Accession Dialogue (HLAD) seems to be providing an alternate route that can take Macedonia a long way forward in the process. That’s a good thing.
Q. Your position that Macedonia should begin negotiations under the interim reference from 1995 is well known, a solution that is acceptable for Macedonia, inoffensive for Greece and Bulgaria and supported by the Hague verdict, but Athens does not comply. Is it possible that Athens and Sofia change something in their perceptions before December and accept this solution as a compromise?
A. I would certainly welcome that, but I doubt it. Neither seems ready to use the Interim Accord for EU membership or even the start of negotiations. Greece does not even want to use it for NATO membership. That is in clear violation of the binding decision of the International Court of Justice.
Q. Do you think that there is a real contribution from Washington and Brussels for solving the Macedonian – Greek dispute?
A. Brussels has contributed the HLAD. It has failed to pressure Athens to give in, but I would regard that as Berlin’s role, not Brussels’.
Washington has favored NATO membership for Macedonia but hasn’t done what is needed to move Athens to accept the Interim Accord as the basis. Instead it has bet on the UN-led “name” mediation, which has gone on for two decades without result. I’d like to see a much stronger position from Washington, but it is hard to convince an Administration with as many high priority problems as this one to spend diplomatic capital on an issue few in the US understand or care about.
Q. Besides the noted progress in the European commission reports and five consecutive recommendations for starting the negotiations that were not adopted by the European Council, Macedonia is still in the waiting room of EU and that has a bad effect on public opinion in Macedonia. What could possible be different now so Macedonian public can be convinced to believe in the EU politics?
A. The trick to getting into the EU is to be technically and legislatively well-prepared, so that when the politics open a window–which happens only rarely–you can get in quickly. That is the role of the HLAD. Macedonia should continue what it has been doing: aligning itself carefully with the acquis communitaire and playing a positive role in regional affairs.
Q. The name issue is a complex problem that Greece has with our constitutional name, it drags through a whole 2 decades, and it’s the main barrier for Macedonia’s road to the EU. Greece’s behavior is inconsistent with the policy of enlargement. For how long the Union can tolerate Greek blocks for Macedonia?
A. I think Greece is wrong to do what it is doing, but there is nothing unusual in an EU member insisting on resolution of a problem it has with a candidate as a condition for EU membership. That’s done all the time and is not inconsistent with enlargement policy. The EU tradition is to leave the resolution of such problems (Slovenia/Croatia for example) to the states most directly involved.
That said, Greece’s refusal to allow Macedonia a date for accession talks is not good for stability or economic growth in Macedonia or in Greece. Destabilizing a neighbor is a classic way of getting your own country into serious difficulty. I trust there are people in Athens who understand this, but I am not hearing loud protests from them.
Q. When can we expect for the European leaders to grant Macedonia a negotiation date?
A. Whenever you convince Athens (and Sofia) to drop their objections. I have no idea when that might be.
Q. Why EU leaders do not copy the Cyprus recipe for Macedonia?
A. I don’t think most EU members regard the Cyprus precedent as a good one. It meant bringing a problem into the Union. It remains unresolved.
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YOu forget to mention mr serwer the precedent of france and the uk.This has been done before in the EU.
If Skopje means to resolve the name dispute with Athens in order to enter the accession talks any time soon, it is the side that will have to make major (if not even all) concessions on the issue. As long as Greece remains struck by this severe socio-economic crisis, its government – whoever constitutes it – will continue to play the nationalist card wherever and whenever possible in an attempt to distract people from their growing hardship. And when it comes to nationalism, ethnically based one is similarly widespread in Macedonia, both in domestic politics and society as a whole, but that’s another story.
Furthermore, Macedonia lacks an international weight needed to put enough pressure on the Greeks to eventually soften their stance. And one certainly should not expect Greece’s international lenders (rescuers) to set a resolution of the name issue with Skopje as a precondition for further financial aid to Athens.
I personally have no sympathy for Greece’s behavior with Macedonia, but there is little that can be done to reverse the reality described above.
Why Milan don’t you have sympathy for Athens behavior?would you like a country to steal your heritage,make territorial claims against your country?And yes they are Leander’s there not rescuing Greece at of the love in their hearts.the Germans,Dutch Finns etc have made billions of of Greece the last 5 years.Athens has compromised on the issue the most it will ,the name can contain the word Macedonia with a geographic qualifier for use for every thing.Can you tell me what the skopians have compromised on?Are Greeks the one putting statues all over Skopje making it look like Disneyland ?Or is Athens publishing school textbooks showing their “natural boundaries”in kumanovo? all the need is a qualifier that’s the only concession they have to make ie north,upper,new ,nova,Slav anything
If you had read my comment more carefully, you would have noticed the following sentence: “When it comes to nationalism, ethnically based one is similarly widespread in Macedonia, both in domestic politics and society as a whole, but that’s another story”. As you can see, I am not critical only toward Athens.
But here we are discussing specifically the name dispute. Greece had become an independent and sovereign nation-state much before Macedonia did, right? If Greeks believe they have the exclusive right to the name “Macedonia”, why didn’t they call their country so, instead of “Greece”? However, if your statement that the problem with the name would be solved if the Macedonians simply added a term such as “north” or “upper” or “new” or “nova” or “Slav” etc. before the word “Macedonia” is accurate, it could really help resolve the issue – and that’s something Skopje should at least mull over as an option.
As for the erection of the “Alexander the Great” statue in Skopje, I agree with you and I consider the act to be ridiculous to say the least, but such a childish behavior is characteristic of most Balkan nations, and also of many others around the world.
The most serious problem among those you mentioned is actually the nationalistic manipulation of students through schoolbooks in relation to territorial designs on foreign countries. It is not limited just to Macedonia; you can find similar examples in several other Balkan states as well. The EU tends to ignore the issue because it has more urgent priorities in the region, but such a practice can cause a lot of trouble in the medium-to-long term as the new generations are growing dangerously indoctrinated.
Because for the same reason they didn’t name themselves Spartans.i truly believe it would be solved with a geographic qualifier.this is the first time in many years that the vast majority of Greek political parties are on board with the exception of golden dawn.
“The hopelessness of the Turkish Government should make me witness with delight its being swept out of the countries which it tortures. Next to the Ottoman Government nothing can be more deplorable and blameworthy than jealousies between Greek and Slav and plans by the States already existing for appropriating other territory. Why not Macedonia for the Macedonians as well as Bulgaria for the Bulgarians and Serbia for the Serbians?”
William Ewart Gladstone – a British Liberal politician and Prime Minister in a letter quoted in The Times (London), Mr. Gladstone and The Balkan Confederation (1897-02-06)i.e. some 120 years ago)
im wondering why no ottoman census every classified the people of fyrom as macedonians but bulgarians?
Peter, I too am wondering as to why no modern Greek census every classified the Muslims of Greece as Turks but as Μουσουλμανι? We all know they are Turks. Does the fact that your country denies the Turks their self-determination on official Greek censuses make them non-Turks?
I also wonder as to why no single Ottoman census ever classified the people inhabiting modern day Greece as “Hellenes” or even “Greeks”. It is a fact that these people were known as Rums or Rumlar. Using the same analogy, does the fact that the Ottoman Empire denied the right of modern day Greeks to self-determine during the censuses conducted by an oppressive regime such as the Ottoman, make these people non-Greeks.
Finally does the fact that this same oppressive regime denied the rights of today’s Macedonians to self-determine during censuses conducted, make them non-Macedonian.
On your favorite issue – a Bulgarian in the XIX century is a religious determinant (something like Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist or Greek Orthodox). In the XX and XXI century Bulgarian is a citizen of Bulgaria.
You seem to be a relentless defender of the Greek collective hallucination and hysteria which borders with outright racism and chauvinism.
I’m a relentless defender of Greek history language and identity and we have compromised with the Slavs of the north for a geographic identifier but your country is the one hallucinating.why are we raspiest because we defend waft is ours?how dare you !
I have no idea which Slavs you are referring to in your statements. Nonetheless, since you claim to have compromised with “the Slavs of the north” for a “geographic identifier”, I am very curious as to which one you have agreed upon and picked? Southern Greece or Greece Upon the Rocks? Or did you think you and your fellow Greeks are the only race entitled to dare challenging other people’s history, language and identity by making “compromise” over issues which are none of your business as per International Laws.
again stay we’re you are and be engulfed .20 years you will be a minority and we will then compromise and allow you to be called illyrida
Thank you for your crystal ball readings Peter. I appreciate it. Let me reiterate it one more time for you: Greece is a disgrace for the whole European Union, and this is not just in the case of Macedonia!
It is funny to see how you keep inviting yourself to a “compromise”. The painful truth is that in my country people no longer care what you think of them or what will you “allow” or “not allow” us to be called. It is hard to find anyone here in Macedonia anymore who honestly thinks that the paranoia in the eroding Greek society deserves further attention.
The only thing eroding is your counrty.read your premiers recent interview in the dvneki.
Why should it, after all?
FYRoM joins the EU on compromise with Greece over the use of Macedonian Name. FYRoM wants to use the Macedonian Name for country-name…sovereign state-name, nationality, language and ethnicity, when it is known that all of these Identity factors do not bode well for South-Slavs.
The Macedonian Name belongs in Greek domain. Macedonian-Identity belongs to Greek heritage – 2 historical reference-points FYRoM South-Slavs have to contend with when explaining their so called Macedonian-Identity to the outside world.