English
Speaking today at the 22nd European Summit in Salzburg, President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova addressed a session titled “Is Europe (Still) a Global Player?” She discussed the future of the European project, the strategic challenges facing the European Union, and the need to accelerate the European integration of the Western Balkans—an issue over which the Union holds full control and decisive power.
Reflecting on Macedonia’s European path, the President noted that out of 35 years of independence, the country has spent 21 years as a candidate for EU membership. She highlighted the 17 positive reports recommending the start of negotiations, the high level of harmonization with European legislation, and the 100% alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy, noting also that the country ranks among the most successful in implementing European reforms and the Western Balkans Growth Plan.
She pointed out that no other European state has borne such a heavy burden on its integration journey: the country changed its national flag and constitutional name and adopted 36 constitutional amendments, the majority of which were dictated from the outside.
Forcing a state to alter its internal legal structure in order to resolve a historical dispute raises serious questions regarding the consistency of European principles. “Article 4(2) of the EU Treaty obliges the Union to respect the equality of Member States and their national identities, which are embedded in their fundamental political and constitutional structures. Yet, in our case, a constitutional amendment conditioned by a bilateral historical dispute is being presented as a test of our democratic capacity,” said Siljanovska-Davkova.
According to her, the heightened rhetoric demonstrates how quickly the region can regress when the European perspective becomes unclear. She pointed out that the only force capable of calming tensions in the Balkans and moving the region forward is a credible prospect of EU membership. “While the Union declares an ambition for global power through offers of association membership to overseas nations, it effectively demonstrates powerlessness by delaying its own enlargement,” the President noted.
She emphasized that enlargement is not merely a policy regarding candidate countries, but a test of the EU’s capacity to act strategically. “If Europe desires greater geopolitical weight, it must be bolder and more consistent: less unpredictability, more meritocracy; less paternalism, more genuine partnership,” the President stated.