Situation in North Macedonia – more stick than carrot – causing frustration

Communist buildings line up with modern houses – Skopje’s cityscape is anything but uniform. So it is not surprising that people are divided in their attitudes. Many have oriented themselves pro-Western and pro-European. At the same time, they are tired of standing in the EU queue and the constantly changing conditions that must be met in order to move forward. The frustration is great, the latest studies show that trust in the EU is on the wane.

Troll factories deliberately spreading misinformation
Russia, on the other hand, is seen as the country that sets no conditions. But Vladimir Putin, the despot in the Kremlin, has a clear agenda in the Western Balkans. There are its own troll factories that spread disinformation in a targeted manner, Putin wants to destabilize the region and the Russian secret service is said to have pulled the strings when the North Macedonian parliament was stormed in April 2017. At that moment, nationalist protesters entered the building and beat up several politicians – more than a hundred people were injured.

North Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister Bojan Marichikj confirms the noticeable Russian influence, but also emphasizes that the state supports all EU sanctions against Russia and that there is no doubt about which side North Macedonia is on. Just a few days ago, five Russian diplomats were expelled from the country.

Population is not yet used to the name change
North Macedonia is considered an absolute model student among the EU accession candidates. The country has stood still for 17 years and is always hopeful that the negotiations will finally start – and in the end it is always delayed.

To end a long-standing dispute with Greece, the state name was changed from Macedonia to North Macedonia. (People are far from used to that, in the last international football match against Italy, the TV broadcast only mentioned North Macedonia three times, the other times the country was mentioned it was called Macedonia.) There was a judicial reform , reform of intelligence and security services and reform of public administration. Bulgaria recently vetoed the start of accession negotiations. With the change of government in Sofia, the signs are now pointing to easing for the first time.

During her visit to North Macedonia, the European Minister, Karoline Edtstadler, was also optimistic that things are finally moving forward. “Now is the right time for it, Europe should not talk alone.” That is also in the interest of security, says Edtstadler, who emphasizes: “The EU is not complete without the countries of the Western Balkans.” The EU now seems to realize how dangerous it is to delay and postpone the Western Balkans for so long. Political observers agree: a serious EU perspective is an effective means of countering nationalism and Russian influence. In return, there is a willingness to accept that the EU will consist of even more net recipients after eastward enlargement.

If it goes to Austria, the model student of North Macedonia should finally be rewarded, otherwise they would just play into the hands of China and Russia and show the region that it is never good enough for Europe. The dc should now be followed by the carrot.