By Balkan View
FormerMacedonian President Stevo Pendarovski, once the face of the country’s Euro-Atlantic ambitions, is sounding the alarm over what he sees as a precarious positioning by the new government in Skopje.
In a recent interview for Tv Sitel, Pendarovski warned that Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski’s embrace of the Donald rump administration could backfire, particularly as the transatlantic alliance remains fractured. “Trump disrupted the global balance, introducing tariffs and offensive measures even against his closest allies,” Pendarovski noted, questioning whether North Macedonia—a small Balkan nation with limited geopolitical leverage—should be rushing to the front of the line in Washington’s favor. Mickoski’s statement that the world must “get used to this new normal” was, in Pendarovski’s view, a dangerous oversimplification of a complex global realignment.
The Risks of Overcommitment
Pendarovski’s critique is rooted in realpolitik. North Macedonia’s NATO membership and EU aspirations require a delicate balancing act, one that avoids alienating key European partners. With Trump’s America at odds with Brussels on several fronts, Skopje’s unreserved enthusiasm for the new U.S. administration could create rifts within the European bloc.
The former president was particularly critical of the government’s decision to co-sponsor a UN resolution alongside the U.S.—a move that placed North Macedonia in diplomatic alignment with global heavyweights but also in the same camp as politically volatile states like Belarus and North Korea. “A country of 1.8 million people does not belong on the playing field where major powers compete,” he cautioned.
Mickoski’s Strategic Gamble
The government, however, sees things differently. Mickoski and his allies argue that strengthening ties with the U.S. is a pragmatic choice, particularly given North Macedonia’s security and economic dependence on Western backing. Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski dismissed Pendarovski’s concerns as hypocrisy, accusing him of opportunism and questioning his own past foreign policy inconsistencies. “He lost two presidential elections, yet he’s suddenly re-emerging to criticize a government that is securing strategic partnerships,” Nikoloski said.
Pendarovski’s credibility has also been challenged by VMRO-DPMNE lawmakers, including Antonio Milososki, who pointed to his shifting stance on constitutional amendments and previous endorsements of Western-backed policy changes. “In 2020, he dismissed constitutional revisions as unthinkable. Later, he became their biggest advocate,” Milososki remarked, painting Pendarovski as a leader swayed by external pressures rather than national interests.
A Fragile European Path
Beyond U.S. relations, North Macedonia’s European trajectory remains uncertain. Pendarovski relayed concerns from diplomatic circles in Skopje, suggesting that government officials were prematurely optimistic about resolving disputes with Bulgaria—one of the key obstacles to EU accession. “Believing that a few months will be enough to untangle this issue is political amateurism,” he argued.
The government’s stance on Hungary—a vocal critic of Brussels and a close Trump ally—has further complicated matters. Pendarovski’s warnings about excessive reliance on Hungarian financial backing suggest deeper anxieties about North Macedonia’s long-term European alignment.
Between Washington and Brussels
At its core, this debate underscores a broader strategic dilemma for North Macedonia: how to maintain a strong partnership with the U.S. while not jeopardizing its European future. Unlike larger nations that can hedge their bets, Skopje has little room for missteps.
If the Trump administration pursues a more transactional foreign policy, as it did in its first term, North Macedonia could find itself in a precarious position—valued for its loyalty but lacking the economic and military weight to shape global decisions. Meanwhile, a Europe still skeptical of Trump’s leadership may look unfavorably on states that appear too eager to embrace his vision.
For now, Mickoski is betting on a close alignment with Washington. Whether that gamble pays off—or leaves North Macedonia diplomatically stranded—will depend on how skillfully Skopje navigates the shifting geopolitical tides.
