President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova met with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Dan Barna (Renew, Romania), Thijs Reuten (S&D, Netherlands), Matej Tonin (EPP, Slovenia), and Karlo Ressler (EPP, Croatia) at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The discussion focused on the latest developments in the Macedonian European integration process, the challenges facing the European Union’s enlargement policy and the potential ways to overcome the long-standing stalemate in the accession negotiations.
Siljanovska-Davkova pointed to the country’s 21-year status as a candidate state and its sustained commitment to European integration, demonstrated through significant reforms.
She particularly highlighted the country’s full alignment with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, underscoring a clear geopolitical orientation and consistent support for the European positions.
According to her, political will for progress should not be expected solely from candidate countries; it is also required from the Union itself. The EU needs to offer creative solutions to break the long-standing deadlock, without calling into question the Macedonian national and cultural identity.
The interlocutors agreed that the place of the Macedonian state is in the European Union, where it naturally belongs, regardless of the challenges encountered along the way.
Some of the Members of the European Parliament noted that the experience of their own countries confirms that the accession process can be long and troubled with difficult conditions, and that progress is not always duly recognized.
The President expressed her gratitude for their understanding and voiced her conviction that continued dialogue and joint engagement can help restore the momentum of the enlargement process, which serves as a strategic investment in Europe’s stability, security and unity.
