Several factors influence the growth of Euroscepticism in the country among the population. One of the reasons for this situation at home is precisely the bureaucratic slow pace of EU expansion policies towards the Western Balkans. If you have a mechanism that is open to challenges, as it was in the case of the pandemic, and you as a country receive vaccines from Serbia, which is not a member of the EU, instead of from the Union, an image is generated in the domestic society that Brussels does not have the capacity to solve the problems of the countries that are outside it. Such an interpretation of these EU policies by Macedonian citizens reflects negatively when it comes to constitutional amendments, the implementation of reforms, and the resolution of other important national issues. In addition, the lack of supra-party consensus among Macedonian political actors to resolve national issues opens the door to the growth of Euroscepticism among the population, which is also worrying, says the political scientist. Milan Stefanovski during the guest appearance in the show "Morning Print."

- In the EU, at this moment, there is no general agreement between all member states on the geopolitical directions where the Union should move in the future. It is similar in the country. The two largest parties VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM have proven that they do not have a consensus when it comes to the country's strategic issues. When, on the one hand, the confused policy of Brussels towards enlargement policies is combined, and on the other hand, the impossibility of the domestic parties to agree on the constitutional amendments, which are the only condition for our path to the EU, an image is formed among the people that the EU may not be a new expansion is necessary, especially with the countries of the Western Balkans - emphasized Stefanovski.

Stefanovski explains that over the years, the EU has failed to assert itself as an important geopolitical player on the global map, a plus point for which we have an increase in Eurosceptics and right-wing movements in the eastern member states of the Union.

- Euroscepticism exists in Hungary and Romania, but also in Bulgaria. And in principle, this is not only a problem of the citizens because they have stopped believing in it, but it is a problem perhaps because they have stopped believing that that system of European values ​​exists. However, here I want to emphasize that Macedonia has no other alternative than full membership in the Union. There have been and will be brakemen of the European processes at home. The solution to this problem regarding the provision of the necessary number of deputies for the constitutional amendments lies in the parties themselves. It is necessary for them to realize that they need to reprogram and make sure that there will not be another negotiation process with the EU, here I am talking about the opposition party VRMO-DPMNE. Whoever is in power will have to solve the problem. There are deadlines by which the country should stick and move forward. If they are not respected due to daily political points, our Western partners will react concretely. This can be seen these days through the messages sent to the public by American Ambassador Ageler, but also by other European leaders - summarizes Stefanovski.

At the same time, the political scientist adds that the geopolitical image that the West wants to achieve in the countries of the region is being disrupted precisely because of the problems of the countries here with corruption, not the rule of law, propaganda as well as because of problems in the judiciary.

You can watch more of the conversation with Milan Stefanovski in the video below.