This December, North Macedonia will mark its 20th anniversary of gaining candidate status for European Union membership. Two decades later, the country is still waiting to join the EU. What was once a moment of national triumph has, over the years, become a symbol of endurance and growing disillusionment.

Over these two decades, the geopolitical map of the Western Balkans has changed profoundly. Slovenia and Croatia, both once sister republics within Yugoslavia, are now long-standing EU members. Montenegro, which only became independent in 2006 — North Macedonia (then known as Macedonia) declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 — is on track to join by 2028. Albania, once paired with North Macedonia in the same enlargement group, has moved steadily ahead, earning praise from Brussels for its consistent reforms.

Even Moldova and war-torn Ukraine, both of which applied for EU membership in 2022, have already started accession talks, with the EU pushing to fast-track the process for both countries.

North Macedonia, meanwhile, remains at a standstill — a candidate since 2005 that has made more concessions than any other, yet is still waiting on Europe’s doorstep.

Accession negotiations were officially launched in July 2022 with the first intergovernmental conference, but the process soon stalled, as a second conference — required to open accession chapters — depends on the completion of constitutional changes to include the small Bulgarian minority in the constitution.

Is Montenegro truly more advanced in meeting the Copenhagen criteria than North Macedonia? Most likely not. Can war-torn Ukraine be more ready for EU membership than a country with two decades of experience in preparation? Certainly not. The problem, it seems, is not merit — it is politics. The right of member states to block newcomers has turned into a tool of pressure, if not outright bullying.

Even neighbours in an apartment block do not have to agree on everything, but that does not mean the oldest tenants should dictate how the new ones live. The EU’s decision-making process remains one of its biggest structural flaws. Attempts to reform it have been made, yet so far, with little success.

Austria and Slovenia are among the EU member states now advocating the introduction of qualified majority voting in enlargement decisions. The proposal, first floated by Germany and Slovenia through a non-paper, seeks to overcome the paralysis caused by the unanimity rule, which currently allows any member to veto the start or continuation of accession talks.

So far, 16 of the 27 EU member states have expressed support for the initiative. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a staunch opponent of Ukraine’s EU membership, remains one of its most vocal critics, determined to preserve national veto powers and uphold the current unanimity system.

If adopted, the reform could accelerate the accession of Ukraine, Moldova, but also of Western Balkan countries such as North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo — though reaching consensus on this within the EU remains a formidable challenge.

The long road from Skopje to Brussels

North Macedonia’s path towards EU membership has been defined by compromise after compromise. Perhaps the most dramatic came in 2018, when the Social Democratic government of Zoran Zaev signed the Prespa Agreement with Greece in 2018, ending a decades-long dispute over the country’s name.

The move — hailed across Europe as an act of political courage — saw the Republic of Macedonia become the Republic of North Macedonia, finally removing the obstacle that had blocked its progress for years.

But what many in Skopje believed would be the final hurdle for the EU accession proved instead to be the beginning of a new chapter of frustration. The only tangible outcome of the country’s name change was its accession to Nato in 2020. 

The latest impasse comes from the country’s eastern neighbour, Bulgaria. Sofia has demanded that the Macedonian constitution be amended to include Bulgarians as a recognised minority — a condition incorporated into North Macedonia’s EU negotiating framework with the support of French President Emmanuel Macron. For Brussels, this step is a matter of principle; for Skopje, it has become a political impasse.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and his ruling VMRO-DPMNE party have so far refused to move forward with the constitutional changes, fearing that Bulgaria will impose new demands on the country’s EU path.

Their stance has paralysed the next stage of accession talks, despite increasing pressure from the European Commission, which in its latest progress report once again reiterated the demand. Without this amendment, the EU has made clear, there will be no second intergovernmental conference — and no opening of accession chapters.

This deadlock has only deepened public scepticism. After two decades of waiting, many citizens now see the EU path as an endless loop of new conditions and political bargaining. Even long-time supporters of the process became tired.

“The EU has been unfair with us,” Sonja, a Skopje resident, told bne IntelliNews. “We have other priorities now — we want the government to tackle inflation, raise living standards, and stop our young people from leaving the country.”

More than 46.5% of young people in North Macedonia do not believe their country will ever join the European Union, according to a survey by the Institute for Good Governance and Euro-Atlantic Perspectives (IDUEP), reported by 24.mk on November 10. Only 6.7% of respondents expect EU membership within the next five years, while 35.8% believe it may happen further in the future.

EU accession stalled over Bulgaria dispute

Relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia have remained tense since Bulgaria imposed its first veto on Skopje’s EU accession in late 2020, linking its support to the implementation of bilateral agreements addressing historical, linguistic, and minority-related issues. The veto was lifted in June 2022 after a French-mediated proposal was approved, allowing accession negotiations to begin in July 2022.

However, related issues continue to surface, including Bulgaria’s demand for a constitutional amendment in North Macedonia to recognise ethnic Bulgarians. According to the 2021 census, only 3,504 people in North Macedonia — roughly 0.2% of the population — identified as Bulgarian.

Bulgaria, however, bases its claims on a much larger figure: over the past two decades, more than 100,000 people in North Macedonia have obtained Bulgarian passports, seeking better economic opportunities, EU access to jobs and education, and cheaper pre-owned cars.

Mickoski, in an interview with Euronews, questioned why the EU expects unilateral concessions from Skopje while turning a blind eye to the situation of Macedonians in Bulgaria.

“Why should we change our constitution?” he asked. “Why are we not talking about the Macedonian community in Bulgaria? What about their human rights? They are not even allowed to register a non-governmental organisation. We’re not asking for a change to the Bulgarian constitution — we’re asking for reciprocity.”

Despite the stalemate, North Macedonia and Bulgaria signed an agreement on November 6 to build a cross-border railway tunnel as part of Corridor VIII, the Western Balkans–Eastern Mediterranean transport route, aimed at boosting regional connectivity and economic cooperation.

Corridor VIII, which is supposed to connect the Black Sea in Bulgaria with the Adriatic Sea in Albania via North Macedonia, is one of Skopje's key infrastructure projects.

Brussels urges “swift and decisive action”

In its 2025 progress report, published on November 4, the European Commission acknowledged that North Macedonia continues to advance reforms — particularly in the areas of the rule of law, public administration, democratic institutions, and the protection of minorities. However, it also warned that “further swift and decisive action” is needed to meet the opening benchmarks in the EU negotiating framework.

Among the priorities outlined are strengthening judicial independence, intensifying the fight against corruption, and ensuring the full functioning of democratic institutions. Above all, the report calls for the long-promised constitutional changes — recognising Bulgarians and other ethnic communities — to be completed without delay.

Following the first Intergovernmental Conference on July 19, 2022, North Macedonia completed all screening sessions for the six accession clusters by December 2023. The reports have since been presented to the Council, meaning the process is ready to move forward — once the political conditions are met.

A steady partner in uncertain times

Despite its domestic challenges, North Macedonia has continued to align fully with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, the Commission said. In the wake of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Skopje stood firmly with Brussels, adopting all EU sanctions and measures. This alignment has been repeatedly praised as a sign of North Macedonia’s clear strategic commitment to the European path, even as tangible progress remains out of reach.

For many in Skopje, however, such recognition offers little comfort. The story of North Macedonia’s EU bid has been one of dedication without reward — a Sisyphean struggle in which every step forward is followed by yet another political demand. The renaming of the country, once hailed as a breakthrough, now feels like a sacrifice that failed to deliver the long-promised result.

Former prime minister Zoran Zaev, once celebrated as the architect of reconciliation, withdrew from politics in 2021, his legacy overshadowed by disillusionment and deep political polarisation. Meanwhile, the current government faces mounting criticism from abroad for stalling the reforms that could bring the country closer to the EU.

The waiting game continues

As North Macedonia approaches its twentieth anniversary as a candidate country, it stands once again at a crossroads. The European perspective remains open, but the path forward depends on political courage at home — and consistency in Brussels.

The Commission’s message is clear: the door to Europe is still open, but only for those ready to walk through it. For North Macedonia, the question is no longer about willingness — it is about whether the weight of two decades of waiting can still be tolerated.

In a region where its neighbours have long since moved ahead, Skopje’s story is a testament to perseverance, but also a reminder that patience has its limits.

After twenty years of waiting, North Macedonia’s European dream endures — battered, delayed, but not yet extinguished.