Italian diplomat and military consultant Stefano Sefanini urged Macedonia to amend its Constitution in line with the Bulgarian demands, in order to take advantage of the alleged current impetus to speed up EU integration. In an interview with the MIA state news agency, Stefanini says that after the war in Ukraine, EU will have no other option but to expand, and Macedonia should use this moment.

What Macedonia needs to do is that it meets its conditions. And the EU should be clear that if Macedonia meets the conditions until 2028, 2029, or any other year, it can join the Union. The Union needs to move at the regatta principle, meaning that if you cross the line, you don’t have to wait for those behind you, Stefanini said.

The member of the Atlantic Council think tank adds that, if the integration eventually happens, Euro-skepticism in the forgotten countries in the region will reduce.