MEP Andreas Schieder recommends inviting eminent foreign historians independent from the North Macedonia-Bulgaria joint commission in order to break the deadlock between the two countries over historical issues, MIA’s Brussels correspondent reports.
To bring the current stalemate in the work of the joint commission to an end, Schieder suggested inviting two or three eminent EU historians who have no involvement in the region and who could help put the issue into a scientific framework, the MEP told a press briefing on North Macedonia on Wednesday.
According to Schieder, Bulgaria’s blockade for the start of North Macedonia’s EU accession talks is unacceptable. He pointed out that politicians often use identity issues to cover up weaknesses in terms of more important issues such as education or employment.
“Blocking the start of negotiations is counterproductive because accession is problem-solving tool. In the Balkans, and everywhere in the world, politicians draw up identity topics when they don’t have answers to basic issues such as employment, education, living standards, and I’m afraid this is the truth behind this debate, too,” Schieder told reporters.
European Parliament’s standing rapporteur for North Macedonia, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, also urged for focusing on cooperation and positive developments between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, rather than building walls. He mentioned several examples of positive cooperation, including that between North Macedonia’s Media Information Agency (MIA) and Bulgaria’s news agency (BTA), as well as cooperation between universities in the two countries, and called on journalists to be part of the positive narrative.
Asked why the amendment which condemned Bulgaria’s provocative rhetoric toward North Macedonia wasn’t passed – an amendment in the preparation of which MEP Schieder also took part, he said he hoped it would pass.
“Our amendment was difficult, because we tried to criticize the Bulgarian government, but it was not met with majority, although I was expecting it. However, this shaped the debate and that was the idea of the amendment, to have stronger criticism from the European Parliament, not to add fuel to the fire,” the MEP said, adding that debates on history don’t help create common future.
Kyuchyuk said although trust between Sofia and Skopje has been broken, the focus now needs to be brought back on the Friendship Treaty and restore trust for future generations.
Schieder and Kyuchyuk differed on EU’s attitude to North Macedonia and the Western Balkans. While the standing rapporteur for North Macedonia believes the assistance in the fight against COVID-19 and talks on the region are at a high level, MEP Schieder had remarks about the work of European Council President Charles Michel, referring among other to the scandal with the protocol in Ankara, but also in response to Michel’s silence over alleged non-paper by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša.
As regards the Western Balkans not being included on the Council’s agenda since December last year, Schieder believes this has to do with no one knowing how to overcome this blockade, and not all governments are satisfied that there’s so little of the Western Balkans on the agenda. According to him, this needs a push forward and the European Parliament is an appropriate place to do so.
In addition, he criticized the European Commission in terms of insufficient assistance in vaccines for the region.
“The COVID-19 situation in North Macedonia is difficul, and the first COVAX delivery of AstraZeneca vaccines was in April. The vaccination process is very slow, and the EU should take responsibility,” MEP Schieder said, adding that if Europe is being sincere about the future of the Western Balkans, vaccine doses should have been ordered for the region as well, but now Serbia and China are filling such strategic gap.
The press briefing also discussed the recent scandal with falsified Macedonian passports used by criminals in the region.
According to MEP Kyuchyuk this was a deeply worrying turn of events in North Macedonia, requiring deep reform in judiciary, the legal framework and the rule of law.
MEP Schieder pointed out this scandal was a sign that fight against corruption is vital.
“But this also shows that there is activity in the fight against corruption,” said Schieder, adding that he doesn’t expect this scandal to have a negative impact on the visa regime for North Macedonia with the EU, as the country has shown that things are moving in a right direction.
