On 12 June 2026, the European Parliament published amendments to its 2025 report on North Macedonia, tabled by the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group. The amendments seek to tighten language on bilateral disputes with Bulgaria, historical reconciliation, and the voting procedure for intermediate steps in EU accession negotiations, while introducing new paragraphs on energy security and antisemitic attacks.
The amendments, all from the ECR Group, target several aspects of the draft report by rapporteur Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA). A new paragraph on energy security expresses serious concern that North Macedonia refused emergency energy assistance from Bulgaria during a regional crisis, framing energy cooperation as a test of regional solidarity. Another new paragraph on historical reconciliation inserts a clause stating that a common approach to the past and a culture of remembrance is the foundation for future Bulgarian-North Macedonian relations, elevating a bilateral historical dispute to a core condition for progress.
On enlargement procedure, the ECR deletes the original report's call for qualified majority voting (QMV) on intermediate steps in accession negotiations, insisting on retaining unanimous decision-making for all major political milestones. This aligns with a more cautious, intergovernmental view of enlargement, reinforcing a veto-based approach. An amendment to paragraph 2 adds a reference to constructive cross-party cooperation as a necessary condition for reform momentum, signalling concern about domestic political dysfunction in Skopje.
A further new paragraph commends the government's rapid response to an arson attack on a Jewish community building in Skopje, while recalling a similar 2022 attack on a Bulgarian cultural club, linking security cooperation to bilateral trust.
The ECR amendments do not challenge the overall pro-enlargement stance but condition it more heavily on resolving bilateral disputes and maintaining intergovernmental control over the process. The amendments will be voted on in plenary, with the final resolution expected to reflect the balance between the ECR's tougher line and the more mainstream positions of the EPP, S&D, and Renew groups.
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