The conclusions adopted by the European Council do not even mention adding new countries to the Union, or Macedonia by name. Bulgaria vetoed the opening of EU accession talks with Macedonia again, with Albania stuck by default, and the conclusions do not even offer some hope to the two countries.

There are chapters on Belarus and Ukraine, the migrant crisis, the Covid pandemic naturally, and even Ethiopia, but not about Macedonia or the rest of the Balkans.

The Zaev regime was hoping that newly elected Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov will moderate the position of the country, but instead, Bulgaria was represented by President Rumen Radev. In an interview with a Bulgarian journalist from Euractiv, Radev explained his positions in English, for the benefit of the EU audience. He accused Macedonia of violating the rights of ethnic Bulgarians and demanded changes to the Macedonian Constitution so that Bulgarians are listed as one of the constituent nations of the country.