President of North Macedonia says constitutional recognition of Bulgarian minority requires public support

North Macedonia's President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova has said her country's EU accession hopes are being held hostage by Bulgaria, which is demanding constitutional changes to recognise the Bulgarian minority. [ . . . ] In power since 2024, Siljanovska-Davkova argued that further concessions cannot be imposed without public support. "My legitimacy derives from the citizens and belong to them. So how can I promise you that we will change the Constitution?," North Macedonia's leader said. North Macedonia has been asked to amend its constitution to explicitly include Bulgarians among the country's recognised communities. The change was agreed as part of a compromise to unblock the accession process, but has encountered resistance in Skopje. In 2022, the EU adopted a French-brokered compromise. North Macedonia agreed to amend its constitution to explicitly recognise Bulgarians as a minority community, but such amendments require a two-thirds parliamentary majority, which the government has not secured.
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