Integration/ Euroactiv: Official Skopje under pressure from Albania and protests over the French proposal

In the third day of protests, Skopje finds itself divided between parties and citizens who oppose the French proposal to unblock Bulgaria's veto and pressure from Albania and local ethnic Albanian parties to accept it.

Following a proposal by the French that some areas of dispute, centered on culture, language and identity, be integrated into the accession process, Macedonian society is divided over whether this is acceptable or not.

Bulgaria accepted the proposal and has remained silent since then, while Skopje has said a possible compromise has been found, claiming it addresses their concerns over ethnic cleansing.

On Monday evening, protests again took place outside government buildings with citizens breaking police lines, throwing eggs at buildings and hanging flowers on police shields.

However, the political lines are very clear. On Monday, the head of the ethnic Albanian opposition party in North Macedonia, Zijadin Sela, said that the French proposal to unblock Bulgaria's veto on Skopje's EU accession path is acceptable.

Sela met with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski and said that everything that leads the country towards the EU should be supported, adding that Macedonians have no other alternative.

He also called for the inclusion of the Albanian language in the Constitution since more than 20% of the country speak it.

Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that it would be a "big mistake" if Skopje did not accept the proposal.

"It's about choices and now is the time to make a choice. My instinct and humble opinion tell me that it would be a great mistake not to accept them. It would be a big thing because the country can be left far behind, and nobody will have the will to go back… so don't do it, just don't do it,” he said in an interview with Macedonian TV.

Rama emphasized that if North Macedonia rejects the French proposal, Albania will seek to proceed separately on the issue of negotiations.

“Shqipëria tani e ka kaluar pikën ku mund të shkojë e vetme dhe sigurisht që ne do të kërkojmë të shkojmë veçmas nëse Maqedonia e Veriut nuk e pranon. Por unë them se duhet ta pranojnë sepse nuk do të ketë propozim tjetër, është përfundimtar dhe nuk doni të uleni para asaj dere edhe për 17 vjet”, tha ai.

Ai vazhdoi se duhet hapur dera që të diskutohet gjithçka.

“Çdo pyetje do të marrë përgjigje në dialogun mes Maqedonisë së Veriut dhe Bullgarisë, ndaj hapeni këtë derë, hapeni tani”, tha ai.

Protestuesit kanë dalë në rrugë që nga e shtuna, duke akuzuar Bullgarinë për "etnocid" dhe duke krahasuar retorikën e Bullgarisë dhe atë të presidentit rus Vladimir Putin me Ukrainën.

"Ne nuk kemi nevojë për Evropën nëse duhet të asimilohemi," u tha gazetarëve lideri i opozitës Hristijan Mickoski para fillimit të protestës. “Përgjigja është jo për propozimin e fundit francez.”

“Nëse Evropa nuk është e gatshme të na pranojë ne maqedonasit e qytetëruar aty ku e kemi vendin, atëherë do të presim derisa të ketë njerëz që do të kuptojnë se Maqedonia dhe identiteti maqedonas është mbi të gjitha dhe para të gjithave”, shtoi ai.

Ndërkohë, presidenti Stevo Pendarovski mblodhi të dielën Këshillin e Sigurisë Kombëtare për të diskutuar propozimin.

He said it was acceptable and recommended that the government add a sentence to the document stating that "from the moment of the opening of negotiations with the EU until their conclusion, if there will be any effort by any party, Bulgarian or any other , to influence the Macedonian language and identity, then Macedonia will immediately withdraw from the talks".

A concrete result is expected in the coming days, while Albanian politicians have said that the date of the first intergovernmental conference, which marks the official opening of membership negotiations, is close.

Source: Euroactiv