Sofia, 12 August 2022 (MIA) - The French proposal to unblock country’s EU integration process is a proposal of the European Union, as it was approved by consensus by all EU members, and received the necessary political support, both in the Bulgarian and Macedonian Parliaments, the Bulgarian MEP and European Parliament’s Rapporteur for North Macedonia, Ilhan Kyuchyuk told Sofia’s bTV's morning TV show. In the same show, the Bulgarian MEP Andrej Kovachev was also a guest, and bTV on its website reports part of his statements as Kyuchyuk’s statements. Kyuchyuk stated that the process of negotiations between the EU and the Republic of North Macedonia has not started yet, because the screening process is waiting to be completed, which will take some time. “We know from the Bulgarian experience that it lasts from a year and a half to two years, and the assessment for that screening must be carried out,” Kyuchyuk said, who is a politician from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and a Member of the European Parliament for a second term from the Renew Europe group. On the other hand, Kovachev said that If VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski conducts his campaign with anti-Bulgarian views and opposes the inclusion of Bulgarians in the country’s Constitution, it will block the Republic of North Macedonia’s path to the EU. “Unfortunately, in the Macedonian Parliament, the French proposal was only approved by the votes of the ruling and part of the opposition parties. The largest opposition party categorically opposed this proposal and announced that it will not vote for the constitutional amendments and the inclusion of Bulgarians in their Constitution. This, I would say, is a very sad turn of events,” said Kovachev in the statement, which bTV reported as a statement by Kyuchyuk. According to the French proposal, the negotiations of the country by clusters and chapters should start after the completion of the screening process, but also after the inclusion of the Bulgarians in the preamble of the Constitution among the rest of the peoples living in the country. Kovachev, who is member of Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, Member of the European Parliament, a federalist and Head of the Bulgarian Delegation in the EPP Group in the European Parliament, expressed hope that the Macedonian opposition will change its position and open the way for the country's negotiations with the EU.