Skopje, 10 July 2025 (MIA) - Yesterday’s adoption of the Report does not mean that the European Parliament does not recognize the Macedonian language or the Macedonian identity, and it should not be seen like that, since these things cannot be taken away neither through lobbying nor through a vote, Slovenian MEP Irena Joveva told Kanal 5 TV on Thursday.

“This is because the EP does not and will never claim the right to decide anything regarding the identity and language of any people, including the Macedonian people. Identity cannot be taken away through lobbying or voting. What happened, happened. I know it is difficult, and it isn’t fair, just like many other things aren’t fair, perhaps even more unfair than what happened with the vote. But still, I want the people to know that this is also a signal that the EP does not wish to interfere in this matter because it recognizes the Macedonian people, the Macedonian identity and the Macedonian language,” Joveva said.

The Slovenian MEP disagreed with the assessment that the Greco-Bulgarian lobby won over the MEPs when it came to accepting the amendments for the erasure of the Macedonian identity and language from the Report.

“If that lobby had won over, then the amendment speaking of a modern language, modern Macedonian identity, would have been submitted, but it had no chance of passing. In the end, however, they won over in the sense that this part was erased from the text. But this wasn’t because of them. This is because the EP will never claim the right to decide anything regarding the identity and language of any people, including the Macedonian,” Joveva said.

Quizzed about the message being sent to the country and the Macedonian people with the entire debate about the language and identity and the amendments by Bulgarian and Greek MEPs, as well as the outcome, Joveva said she believes the country should not assign great importance to these things.

“The Macedonian country, the Macedonian political scene, and the Macedonian people, should focus on progress, on the process of reforms that should serve to improve the life of the citizens – not for the EU, not for any member state, but for the citizens – and this should be the message. I see this report as a message for this. Because the essence of the report, if we look beyond the language and identity, is positive. And I must be optimistic. I want to be optimistic because I know that the people, the Macedonian people, deserve much better than what they have. And better is not possible unless the European path continues,” Joveva stressed. 

Photo: Irena Joveva