The European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Report urges North Macedonia to “adopt the necessary constitutional changes with a view to including in the Constitution citizens who live within the borders of the state and who are part of other people, such as Bulgarians.” The measure, agreed in the Council Conclusions of July 2022, remains an essential step for Skopje to advance on its path towards European Union membership.
In its assessment, the Commission notes that “North Macedonia continued its work on the roadmaps for the rule of law, public administration reform, and the functioning of democratic institutions, as well as on the action plan on the protection of minorities.” However, it warns that “further swift and decisive action is needed on the opening benchmarks, in line with the negotiating framework, with a view to opening the first cluster as soon as possible and when relevant conditions are met.”
The report highlights that progress has been made in legislative preparations, but implementation continues to lag. “The country should intensify efforts to uphold the rule of law, by safeguarding judicial independence and integrity, and strengthening the fight against corruption,” the Commission writes.
Judiciary reform and corruption remain key concerns
According to the assessment, North Macedonia’s judiciary continues to face structural challenges, particularly in ensuring accountability and transparency. The Commission finds that “judicial independence and integrity remain to be strengthened,” noting that “further efforts are needed to ensure merit-based appointments and effective disciplinary proceedings.”
On corruption, Brussels remains critical, stating that “North Macedonia is between having some and a moderate level of preparation and made no progress on the prevention and fight against corruption. Corruption remains prevalent in many areas and is an issue of serious concern.” The report mentiones the tragedy of 16 March 2025 in Kochani, during which a fire tore through a club killing 62 and injuring over 190 people. It revealed enduring systemic challenges over the enforcement of anti-corruption measures.
The Commission calls for “stronger commitment and tangible results, including a track record of investigations, prosecutions and final convictions in high-level corruption cases.” It also urges the authorities to “ensure effective implementation of the legal framework and strengthen the capacity of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption.” Freedom of expression and media environment
The Commission observes that progress on freedom of expression has been limited, with several structural issues persisting. It notes that media independence and professional standards continue to be challenged by political and commercial pressures. The authorities are urged to ensure transparent and fair distribution of public funds for media advertising and strengthen the independence of the public service broadcaster: “The advertising in commercial media, where not allocated in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner, constitutes a risk for political misuse of funds, potentially undermining media independence and distorting the market”.
“Challenges remain concerning transparency of media ownership. The framework for allocation of state advertising raises concerns about the potential misuse of political funds and the disruption of the market”, the report says.
Civil society organisations, the report adds, “continue to operate in a relatively enabling environment”, but the Commission stresses that consultation with civil society in policy-making should become more systematic. “The government should increase its efforts to ensure that civil society is involved in all priority areas and in consultation activities”, the report states.
The Commission observes that the political environment is marked by high polarisation. The lack of constructive cross-party dialogue continues to hamper progress on key reforms and affects the functioning of democratic institutions. “Political polarisation in Parliament persisted, delaying the adoption of important reforms and several long-overdue appointments”, emphasises the report adding that broad political consensus is essential to advance on the EU reform agenda and maintain the country’s strategic orientation.
Parliamentary work has often been delayed due to political tensions, and the quality of legislative debate remains uneven. The Commission urges the authorities to improve the inclusiveness and transparency of decision-making and to ensure that institutions operate effectively and independently of partisan influence.
“Cross-party collaboration remains essential to accelerate the implementation of EU-related reforms, which is in the interest of citizens.”
Overall, the 2025 report paints a picture of a country that has maintained its formal commitment to the EU path but risks losing reform momentum amid internal political tensions. “Further swift and decisive action is needed on the opening benchmarks, in line with the negotiating framework,” the Commission reiterates, warning that any further delay in constitutional amendments could stall accession talks altogether.
Brussels reaffirms its readiness to support North Macedonia through targeted financial assistance and technical expertise but stresses that the pace of accession will depend entirely on the pace of reforms.
Mickoski accuses Bulgaria of “harassment” and questions fairness of EU conditions
North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski accused Bulgaria of “harassment”, describing the conditions for including Bulgarians in the Constitution as political pressure and unfair treatment.
“They are inside, we are outside – that’s a form of harassment, isn’t it? We would like to sit at the table in Brussels too. But what is the price, and will it be the last one we have to pay? If someone allows themselves to harass another who wants to join the club, why should the rest remain silent? This is not normal… And it will probably happen again and again, because it seems to work,” the prime minister told Euronews correspondent Sasha Vakulina.
He called on Brussels to reconsider the rule of unanimity and the veto power of individual member states, questioning whether these mechanisms still reflect the principles and values set by the founders of Europe.
“We believe that our future is in the EU. And we believe that integrating the Western Balkans into the EU brings added value for the Union itself. Despite all the humiliations and disappointments, and despite the current frustration among citizens, we share the same values,” he added.
The prime minister warned that ordinary Macedonians are increasingly frustrated and confused by the lack of progress, questioning what the EU truly stands for today.
