Skopje, 10 April 2026 (MIA) – We shouldn’t have to wait decades to pass to join the EU. Sometimes there is movement behind the scenes and it can be concluded from statements made by our neighbours that we’re not standing still, we’re working, which isn’t always visible, President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova has said.

In an interview with TV21’s Click Plus interview, she said she has always had good relations and had had long conversations with the former president of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, despite having different views.

Macedonia, Siljanovska-Davkova said, walks hand in hand with some of the leading EU candidate countries, sometimes even being ahead of them. She reiterated that the accession process should take place based on facts and criteria.

“We’re talking about politics based on proof, not on irrational conditions. It shows we’re not only hand in hand with some of the main candidates for swift EU memberships, we’re even better,” said the President.

Macedonian legislation has been largely aligned with EU’s laws, according to her, which, as she said, is an additional argument for the country’s progress in the EU integration process.

Even if the conditions were met, Siljanovska-Davkova warned, the process could be blocked by member countries.

“Even the quickest candidates could be able to close clusters and chapters, but it doesn’t mean that a veto couldn’t be used by a member and open issues that have nothing to do with the Copenhagen criteria, which are in relation to history and culture,” she said.

According to the President, these issues shouldn’t be part of the negotiating process and no additional guarantees aren’t needed.

Regarding possible solutions, Siljanovska-Davkova said that sometimes creativity and flexibility is required to interpret some protocols without going into details for the public.

“Creativity sometimes is necessary. There are different ways to interpret protocols, but it requires careful approach,” she added.

It’s a paradox, said the head of state, to ask the EU members for guarantees that they will observe the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg since they have already obliged to do so by accepting the European legal standards.

According to Siljanovska-Davkova, guarantees are part of the European legislation and the EU’s constitutive documents.

“If the EU had signed and ratified the European Human Rights Convention and had recognized the jurisdiction of the court in Strasbourg, then it’s a paradox to seek guarantees that the decisions will be respected. The Strasbourg court’s decisions should apply for all EU members,” she said.  

The Lisbon Treaty, inspired by the Copenhagen criteria, clearly states that the national and cultural identity of countries and nations is respected as well as the dignity and integrity of the citizens.

Since these principles apply for the EU members, they should also apply for the candidate countries, concluded President Siljanovska-Davkova in the interview.

Photo: screenshot