The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has postponed a vote on a contentious report on North Macedonia’s EU accession progress following pressure from Bulgarian MEPs, Bulgarian media reported on Wednesday.
The vote, initially scheduled for early June, was delayed to June 24–26 at the request of Austrian MEP Thomas Waitz, the rapporteur of the report. The decision follows growing concerns from Sofia about the document’s wording on North Macedonian identity and language.
The delay comes after North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski claimed the report acknowledges a “centuries-old Macedonian identity” and recognizes the “present Macedonian language,” statements that provoked backlash in Bulgaria.
In a letter to fellow lawmakers, Bulgarian MEPs from all political groups raised concerns over what they described as breaches of internal parliamentary procedures, including premature leaks of draft wording and compromise amendments shared with officials in Skopje.
They cited Mickoski’s June 1 comments claiming he had access to the report’s contents prior to its official release and alleging his government worked with the rapporteur for nearly a year to shape a favorable outcome.
“These revelations, made prior to the conclusion of shadow rapporteur negotiations, point to a sustained and structured leak of internal information — or worse, a breach of EP staff server and email security possibly involving third-party interference,” the letter stated.
Bulgarian MEPs have called for an internal investigation within the Parliament to identify the source of the alleged leak and to revise the disputed sections of the report during the delay.
The committee session also reviewed reports on Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania. A final vote on North Macedonia’s report, initially expected in July, remains unscheduled following the deferral.
Rapporteur Waitz defended the report but acknowledged the sensitivity of the topic, saying:
“This is a report of the European Parliament, not a tool to resolve bilateral issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Nonetheless, I propose we delay the vote to June 24–26 to address concerns.”
Bulgarian MEPs Ivaylo Valchev (ITN) and Stanislav Stoyanov (pro-Russian Vazrazhdane) welcomed the move, calling it “a timely and rational decision.”
The developments come as the European Commission seeks ways to streamline enlargement procedures. Commission spokesperson Marta Kos said the EU aims to prevent bilateral disputes from hindering accession negotiations in the current geopolitical climate, expressing willingness to mediate between Sofia and Skopje.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian historian Prof. Plamen Pavlov told Actualno.com the report reflects lobbying efforts by North Macedonia and contains historically inaccurate claims. He emphasized that contemporary Macedonian identity has “Bulgarian roots,” adding that many North Macedonian citizens, including political elites, hold Bulgarian citizenship.
Pavlov called on Bulgarian institutions to take a stronger stance within EU forums and expose what he described as “anti-Bulgarian policies” in North Macedonia, citing ongoing court cases against pro-Bulgarian figures and delayed acceptance of Bulgarian aid during recent emergencies.
The Bulgarian National Assembly has unanimously demanded that Skopje uphold its commitments under the EU negotiation framework, including provisions on shared history and minority rights.