On Wednesday, the EP, with 461 votes in favour, 121 against, and 107 abstentions, adopted Rapporteur Thomas Waitz’s Report on North Macedonia. After the vote, the MEP stated that he’d worked tirelessly for a well-balanced and impartial document on the democratic progress of the country.
“North Macedonia has been a frontrunner in the region, showing real commitment to EU values, including a historic name change and bold reforms. But its accession has been unfairly blocked for too long due to bilateral disputes, fuelling public frustration and disillusionment with the EU. I call on all political parties in North Macedonia to engage in constructive dialogue to reach the required consensus, which would strengthen the country’s multiethnic character and accelerate EU progress”, the Rapporteur also said.
However, MEP Waitz added that some Bulgarian counterparts of his had used the document for domestic purposes. Prior to the vote, amendments proposed by MEPs Andrzej Halicki on behalf of the PPE Group, Kathleen Van Brempt, on behalf of the S&D Group, and Dan Barna, on behalf of the Renew Group, to remove parts of the text reading “Macedonian language and identity” had been accepted.
Their amendment to remove the part of Paragraph 3 reading “while fully respecting the Macedonian language and identity” was accepted with 458 votes in favour, 109 against, and 118 abstentions.
With 453 votes in favour, 109 against, and 118 abstentions, there was also an acceptance of their amendment to delete the introductory part of Paragraph 3 reading, “Affirms the importance of unequivocally recognising and respecting the Macedonian language and identity as an integral part of the nation’s heritage and constitutional order, but also of European values; notes that the European institutions, in country reports and official documents, consistently refer to the Macedonian language in line with international recognition and the implementation of the Prespa Agreement”.
The amendment by the three MEPs to erase Recital L, reading “whereas the EU has consistently demonstrated its recognition of the Macedonian language and identity”, was accepted, with 470 votes in favour, 86 against, and 130 abstentions, as well.