The situation in North Macedonia is spiraling out of control. Demonstrations against the French proposal designed to end the Bulgarian-Macedonian dispute have been ongoing for days in the capital. Wednesday night a group of Albanians began hurling rocks at protesters, and two of them pulled a gun on the demonstrators. The leader of the opposition party says he feared for his life. Meanwhile, speaking to Macedonia's state TV, Serbia's president said Macedonia should consider carefully whether or not it will accept the proposal. The start of EU accession talks has produced serious economic benefits for Serbia, for instance wages have since doubled.

Guns, rocks and eggs during protest

Rocks, guns and eggs have all played a role during demonstrations in Skopje organised by North Macedonia’s opposition forces. Protests against the French proposal have been ongoing for five days in Macedonia’s capital. Tuesday’s mass march spiraled into violence and nearly fifty police officers were injured, who deployed water canons against protesters. However, the situation has deteriorated further in the Balkan country’s capital.

The latest protest began after party leaders had repeatedly failed to reach an agreement in parliament. The politicians were supposed to discuss ways to neutralise Bulgaria’s veto – a prerequisite to starting the accession process – or to find some type of compromise, but they fell short again. Following the meeting, the leader of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party alliance accused the government of „pushing the country into the abyss.”

„They are conducting ostentatious talks, instead of having consulted us. We won’t accept any option that would push us into the abyss,”

Hristijan Mickoski said, and soon after, another street demonstration unfolded in Skopje.

The protesters first gathered outside the Macedonian government building and then marched towards Skanderbeg square, where they encountered a group of Albanians who began throwing rocks at the peaceful demonstrators. This was followed by threats and insults, with at least two individuals pulling out their guns and pointing them towards the protesters.

Police somehow managed to stop the altercation and separate the Albanians from the protesters. Soon after, the crowd marched to parliament, where they set a banner – depicting members of the ruling coalition – on fire and pelted the legislative building with eggs.

Photo: Facebook

Hristijan Mickoski shared a photo on his Facebook page after the incident. The photo shows a man, as he is pointing his gun at the protesters. He is now accused by the opposition leader of wanting to kill him.

The French proposal

The French proposal is a result of diplomatic efforts launched by President Emmanuel Macron last year. Paris’s goal was to revitalise North Macedonia’s stalled EU accession process before the end of the EU’s rotating French presidency.

A few months later both Skopje and Sofia have received the proposal’s draft document. If they both accepted it, the inter-governmental meeting between the EU and North Macedonia could go ahead and the country’s accession talks could commence. As a first step towards this, the proposal suggests that North Macedonia amend its constitution to safeguard the rights of Bulgarian minorities. Any other outstanding issues should be discussed and resolved between the parties during Macedonia’s accession talks.

The proposal has triggered a complex political crisis in Bulgaria. The government led by PM Kirill Petkov resigned after losing a vote of confidence, but the majority in parliament has given a green-light to approve the plan. In Macedonia, President Stevo Panderovski and PM Dimitar Kovacevski’s cabinet appear to have essentially thrown their weight behind the French plan, but they faced a barrage of criticism from the opposition forces, and then the series of demonstrations began.

Paradoxically, the opposition in both Bulgaria and North Macedonia accuses the ruling parties of giving up national interests with the adoption of the French proposal. For years, Bulgaria has been the only country to block North Macedonia’s EU accession talks. Sofia does this despite the fact that in 2017 the two governments signed an agreement on friendship and good neighbourly relations. According to Skopje, this would serve as a sufficient basis for starting accession negotiations with the European Union. However, Sofia insists that controversial issues regarding Macedonian identity, language and national heroes need to be clarified before the launch of the process. In Bulgaria’s view, for instance, the Macedonian language was created in 1944 and can only be considered a written regional dialect of the Bulgarian language.

Mickoski: Macedonian people have woken up

As shown by the string of protests in recent days, tens of thousands in Macedonia believe that the French proposal for resolving disputed issues between Bulgaria and Macedonia is not good for the country and would lead to assimilation. The leader of the opposition in Macedonia previously called the proposal a dictate. However, without reaching a compromise with the Bulgarians, the country is unable to open accession negotiations with the EU. Sofia says that until the situation of the Bulgarian ethnic minority in North Macedonia is settled at the required level, they will veto the country’s EU accession. Recently, Macedonia’s opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski stated that

Macedonian people have woken up and they will not allow anyone to bring this country or nation to an end.

We don’t want Europe, if the price we must pay is the assimilation of the Macedonian people, the politician added.

Photo: Facebook

Vucic: Only Macedonians can decide about their future

Serbia’s president also commented on recent events seen in Macedonia. Aleksandar Vucic said he could not tell whether the French proposal is good or not, but he is sure that nothing should be rejected or accepted without giving it due consideration. He noted, however, that Serbia has greatly benefited from opening accession talks. Belgrade also had to make sacrifices to this end, he stressed.

The Brussels Agreement signed with Pristina was one such compromise, which was not at all favourable for Serbia, Mr Vucic added. Many people in Serbia, and especially Serbs living in Kosovo, refused to accept its content. By today we have come to a point where it is us citing certain clauses of the Brussels Agreement, the president emphasized.

„We have gained a lot by being able to start negotiations on membership with the European Union. Is everything fine and nice in the current proposal? Of course, not. However, another question arises: what is the alternative to reaching an agreement?”

Serbia’s head of state said.

After the launch of EU accession negotiations, salaries in Serbia have doubled, and a significant number of investors have came to the country, 62 percent of all Western Balkan investors, Aleksandar Vucic pointed out in the interview.

Salaries have doubled since the start of accession talks. At that time, average wages were the same as in North Macedonia now, slightly more than 330 euros, but by now they have reached 640 euros and are expected to rise to 720 euros soon. And in Belgrade, the average salary will be more than 900 euros in January,”

Mr Vucic said.

Serbia’s president asked Macedonians to weigh their options carefully and to analyse the situation before making a decision. Aleksandar Vucic called on Macedonians to think rationally about the situation, to determine what they will gain by starting EU accession negotiations, or what they will lose if they decide to the contrary. The path to the European Union is difficult, but it will bring great benefits for the country, he remarked.