North Macedonia Backs Interim Government With EU Talks Stalled

Slav Okov
·2 min read

(Bloomberg) -- North Macedonia’s parliament approved an interim government ahead of a May election that may further complicate the Balkan nation’s already difficult European Union accession process.

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A majority of lawmakers on Sunday backed the appointment of Talat Xhaferi as prime minister, making him the first representative of the country’s Albanian minority — nearly a third of the population — to assume the role. Xhaferi, who stepped down as parliament speaker earlier this week, will now have about 100 days to prepare for the national vote.

Failure to gather support to unlock EU talks and to eradicate corruption has eroded support for the ruling Social Democrats, who have been in power for eight years. While the biggest opposition party, the VMRO-DPMNE, hasn’t officially objected to EU membership, it’s repeatedly blocked political deals to advance NATO and EU integration.

Read more: Why EU’s Balkan Expansion Faces Long and Winding Road: QuickTake

The landlocked Balkan country has for years been at the center of a tug-of-war between Russia and the West. It became a NATO member in 2018, but only after being blocked for a decade by neighboring Greece due to a dispute over the designation Macedonia. With reference to its northern region of Macedonia, Greece said the name implied territorial ambitions.

Still, resolving that issue hasn’t helped North Macedonia — as it’s known after reaching an accord with Athens — advance much on its EU path. To end another dispute with neighboring Bulgaria and continue its membership talks, the country now has to change its constitution and specifically mention Bulgarians among other nationalities living there, which has drawn the ire of the VMRO-DPMNE and sizable sections of the public.

The nationalist grouping, which has two ministerial posts under a reconciliation agreement, also refused to support Xhaferi, citing dissatisfaction with his work as speaker.

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