Bieber: The French proposal is unfair to Macedonia, it damages the image of the EU

The French proposal to settle the Bulgarian and Macedonian issues and start Macedonia's negotiations with the EU is seen as a disaster for enlargement, although it looks good for ending the blockade.

According to the university professor of politics and history in Graz, Austria, Florian Bieber, it hides many dangers.

Bieber has clarified the six points why he thinks the proposal is not good and what are the risks it brings.

1. It incorporates bilateral disagreement into the EU negotiation process, giving legitimacy and encouragement to future EU members to block candidate countries.

2. It is obvious that the proposal is closer to the Bulgarian demands than the Macedonians' position, so it is not balanced.

3. Accepts the nationalist logic of the Bulgarian government which suggests that there is an issue of discrimination against Bulgarians in North Macedonia.

4. Ignores that the problem is (partially) created by the EU. Tens of thousands of Macedonian citizens received Bulgarian passports because they are EU passports, not because they are Bulgarian. Citizens' claims to be EU citizens (to work) are misused by Bulgaria to claim that they are "ethnic" Bulgarians.

5. It bilateralizes and discredits the mechanisms for the real rights of minorities.

6. It will not receive enough support in North Macedonia and the non-ratification of the agreement will be interpreted as a failure in North Macedonia, not as a failure of Bulgarian nationalist demands.

"Instead of an easy way out, the French proposal will further damage the image of the EU and bury the enlargement process," explains Bieber.

We remind you that the French proposal is strongly opposed by the Macedonian opposition parties, who have been protesting violently for several days in a row in front of the government building and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.