The European Union is ready to open accession talks with North Macedonia, but the final step remains in the country’s hands — adopting the long-delayed constitutional amendments, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during her visit to Skopje on Tuesday, the last stop of her Western Balkans tour.
“We fully support North Macedonia on its path towards the EU. The next and only step before the start of negotiations is clear – make the agreed constitutional change. The ball is in your court. The EU is ready,” von der Leyen wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after meeting Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.
The meeting, held behind closed doors, focused on the country’s EU prospects, reforms, economic cooperation, energy security and digital transformation, the government said in a statement.
Mickoski reaffirmed his government’s commitment to European integration through reforms and alignment with EU standards but urged Brussels to show “clear and concrete commitment” to the country’s membership path.
Von der Leyen’s message comes as Skopje struggles to secure a two-thirds parliamentary majority to adopt constitutional changes required to include the Bulgarian minority — a condition set by Sofia for opening accession talks.
In parallel with the political message, von der Leyen announced new projects under the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, including North Macedonia’s inclusion in the Single Euro Payments Area and a €16 million reward for reform progress.
She also confirmed the opening of an artificial intelligence hub in Skopje — part of the “Pharos” network headquartered in Greece — which will give Macedonian researchers and start-ups access to European supercomputers and advanced data infrastructure.
Von der Leyen met with President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi during her visit, which followed stops in Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.