Skopje, 22 April 2026 (MIA) - We have a feeling that the process is bilateralized and we are victims of bullying by an EU member using the principle 'we are inside, you are outside, and if you want to come inside, you must accept our conditions or risk staying outside'. These requirements have nothing in common with the Copenhagen criteria, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski in Vienna on Wednesday.

PM Mickoski reiterated that the country seeks guarantees from the European Council in order to meet the demand for another constitutional revision.

"Our position is very clear - the Government is ready to sit down with our neighbors and discuss the overcoming of this problem, but what is more important for us are the guarantees that we expect from the European Council regarding our Macedonian identity, so there are no additional bilateral issues that would again be reopened. And thirdly, what about the Macedonian community that is unfortunately unable to register a non-governmental organization there, something that the European Court of Human Rights has obligated Bulgaria to do in 14 of its judgments?" Mickoski told a joint press conference with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker.

According to him, the Government has a clear position on the country's future - EU accession - but bilateralization of the accession process is a frustrating issue.

"What makes Macedonia's European future uncertain? The bilateralization of the accession negotiations, which we see as extremely difficult and frustrating. We started this process 26 years ago by signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement, became candidates 21 years ago and received the first positive European Commission report for the start of the accession negotiations in 2009. Regretfully, this process turned into a neverending story for us due to bilateral issues. Meanwhile, we changed our flag, our banknotes, changed the Constitution on several occasions, and most recently the constitutional name. Is there any other example in Europe that can come even close to saying it has done something similar in the name of European integration? No, there isn't. And yet again, we are asked to change the constitution," said Mickoski.

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