Will the French proposal for lifting the veto from tomorrow become Czech?

Macron and Petkov / Photo ERIC LALMAND / AFP / Profimedia

Only a few hours remain until the deadline, which expires today at midnight, for the French presidency of the EU. He will take over the helm of the Union as of tomorrow Czech Republic, a country that maintains good relations with Macedonia, but at the same time, the enlargement of the Union is not on the agenda in her priorities for the six-month presidency.

However, the domestic and foreign diplomats he consulted Free Press in relation to what the expectations for the country will be from the new chairman of the EU, the Czech Republic has divided opinions. Some of them say that it is possible to expect the French proposal to remove the Bulgarian veto for Macedonia to become a Czech one, but others are convinced that the top of the state can at the last moment use a compromise for the French proposal and start the negotiation process for access to The Union.

The former ambassador to NATO, Nano Ruzin says that we should be brave and accept the proposal presented to us, even though the reactions in the public are justified and full of emotions. According to him, as long as identity issues and language are left out of the negotiation framework as now, Macedonia should agree.

Nano Ruzin, former Ambassador to NATO / Morning briefing

- Although the presidency with France ends tomorrow, there is still a possibility that after a few days, if the proposal from us and Bulgaria is accepted, the lifting of the veto will be accepted in these few days, regardless of the fact that the baton is taken over by the Czech Republic, which is not very interested in the Western Balkans. It is a possibility that exists and is real. On the other hand, we as a country are in a specific situation, the pressure of public opinion on the problem with Bulgaria is growing and this is hindering our European ambitions. It will not surprise us if the EU declares tomorrow what has been achieved - says Ruzhin.

According to him, if Brussels does not declare, then it is really not good for us to be a country that refuses what the Europeans are convinced can bring us some benefit.

The expert on policy analysis with a focus on the Western Balkans, the university professor Mikhail Vit from the Czech Republic commenting on the upcoming Czech Presidency of the EU for Free Press says that his country with the EU can still bring new positive vibrations to the enlargement process.

Prof. Mikhail Vit

– What I can emphasize with certainty is that the Czech presidency will demonstrate a greater understanding of the enlargement process currently taking place in the Western Balkans. From here, the authorities in Prague, who always look at the situations neutrally, will try to simplify them and do everything for the region to speed up the European integration process, in addition to focusing on the developments in Ukraine. At the same time, I would like to add that the Czech presidency will make it possible to implement a new approach with the so-called a "low profile" method with which he hopes that the country will avoid the ripples on this topic at any cost, which are current these days around the Bulgarian veto - he says.

On the other hand, the former ambassador Risto Nikovski argues that the French proposal as it is now is far from law, principles and international legal standards and justice.

Risto Nikovski / Photo: Free Press Archive

- The fact is that the Czech Republic did not mention the expansion in its plans at all, but we should remind that it was not even during the French presidency. It only confirms that there is a firm determination in the Union that new members will not be admitted for a long time. There is no doubt that the Czechs will also be dealing with this issue as the hot chestnut has been transferred to their backyard as well. However, we should not have any hopes that anything will come of it. On the contrary, we will continue to turn in a vicious circle. And what's most terrible is that it will last for decades and not years. When this is already the case, it means that Macedonia must take radical steps and get out of that vicious circle, because we look ridiculous in our obsessions to get a date. This means that the agreement with Bulgaria should be canceled urgently because it is and will remain our calvary - summarizes Nikovski.

Former diplomat Dragan Janjatov similarly to Nikovski, he is not convinced that the Czech presidency can radically change the current policy of Brussels for the Western Balkans.

 

- A new proposal from France should not be expected because there will be none and on that basis the Czech Republic will deal with this problem. However, I am not optimistic that something radical can be changed in favor of Macedonia. With all the methodology used in the negotiations to remove the Bulgarian veto, Macedonia became entangled in its own spider's web. In other words, it gave Bulgaria the strength to realize all its goals and priorities that it wants from Macedonia. However, even if we get the green light for negotiations, they will never end according to this proposal because Bulgaria fulfilled all its demands and we did not - says Yanyatov.

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