Skopje, 26 November 2025 (MIA) — The only way forward for the country is European integration, SDSM leader and National Council for European Integration chair Venko Filipche said in his remarks at the conference of the National Convention on the European Union held Wednesday in Parliament. 

Commenting on the latest European Commission report on the country's progress, Filipche said it was the worst one the country had received in a decade.

"The report clearly states there have been no reforms over the past year," he said, noting that EC's 2015 report was worse only because it cited Macedonia as an example of state capture. "But the government is still doing this now," he added.

Filipche said the country's prolonged stagnation and lack of reforms set it back in the EU accession process. "If we continue like this," he said, "the EU could send us back to the screening stage."

He also said solving the issue with Bulgaria may not be the only prerequisite for progress toward EU membership. "It is possible that solving the bilateral problem with one of our neighbors will not be the only condition. Why? Because we are not ready. There is no headway, nothing regarding preparations for opening the clusters, especially the first one, Fundamentals," Filipche said.

He pointed out as a particularly serious problem the state's failure to adopt the EU's three key roadmaps on the rule of law, public administration and the functioning of democratic institutions. He also said that even if the constitutional amendments were adopted, the country would not be ready to start talks with the EU.

"If the constitutional amendments were adopted right now, we would still not be able to start negotiations with the European Union the next day," he said, calling into question the ruling party's willingness to do anything regarding ​​EU membership despite the EU's sending clear signals of encouragement and readiness for enlargement.

He said the EU itself was willing to focus on the process, citing the Danish EU Presidency's current position on enlargement. "We were the biggest skeptics of enlargement, and now we give the green light and support all candidate states," Filipche cited the Danish ambassador as saying during a previous meeting of the National Convention on the EU.

Filipche also voiced his disapproval of "the government's inability to deliver results in key reform areas." He said the EC in its 2025 country report had found major flaws with the judiciary, the fight against corruption, media freedom and the work of Parliament.

According to Filipche, the EC noted that the state had not implemented important recommendations on the judiciary. "The Law on Civil Procedure has not been adopted, the role of the Judicial Council has not been strengthened, the Automated Court Case Management Information System has not been strengthened or applied consistently," he said.

He noted a standstill in the fight against corruption due to insufficient political will and resources. "A new Criminal Code has not been adopted," he said, adding that the state needed to also draft a new anti-corruption strategy for 2026-30. He also remarked that the Public Prosecutor's Office and other institutions in the judiciary were understaffed and underpaid.

Filipche criticized the state for being late in meeting its obligations related to the EU's economic criteria, as well — citing the delayed financial consolidation and Organic Budget Law as examples — and added that the government compromised the country's path toward the EU and set it back in all strategic sectors. mr/