Three Political Groups in EP Agree to Remove References to "Macedonian Identity" and "Macedonian Language" from North Macedonia Progress Report

Three political groups in the European Parliament — the European People’s Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, and Renew Europe — agreed last night to remove all references to "Macedonian identity" and "Macedonian language" from the draft progress report on the Republic of North Macedonia. This was announced by Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev on July 3.

He expects the amendment to be supported by a majority in the European Parliament during next week’s plenary session.

"Issues of identity and language have no place in a progress report for a candidate country seeking EU membership. Such topics only lead to division and open Pandora’s box. This is confirmed in this specific case by the continuous statements from the authorities in Skopje, particularly Prime Minister Mickoski, with his manipulations about a 'centuries-old identity and language'," Kovatchev wrote on Facebook.

Kovatchev expressed gratitude to the Bulgarian MEPs for their unified position on the issue.