Iliana Yotova: Bulgaria has problems with North Macedonia’s EU membership
Yotova said Sofia wants support to ensure North Macedonia follows EU accession policy and noted no progress since 2022.
Bulgarian acting president Iliana Yotova raised concerns about North Macedonia’s EU accession during a meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on 5 September 2026.
Yotova told Fico that Sofia sees a problem with Skopje’s path to the European Union and requested support for enforcing accession rules. She warned that no progress has been recorded on commitments made by North Macedonia in 2022.
Yotova said, "You know that we have certain problems with the Republic of North Macedonia and its EU membership. We ask for your support for North Macedonia to follow the EU accession policy. For four years we have not seen progress in implementing the obligations assumed by North Macedonia in 2022," attributing the words to herself at the meeting.
Bulgarian demand on constitutional change
The acting president reiterated that Bulgaria is asking North Macedonia to enshrine Bulgarians in its constitution as part of resolving bilateral issues connected to accession.
Both officials also discussed enlargement more broadly and insisted that any EU accession process must follow agreed rules and be based on tangible achievements by candidate countries. The exchange signals continued pressure from Sofia on Skopje at a time when enlargement debates remain contentious in several EU capitals.
Photo: press material from the event
