Mickoski Invites the Opposition to Name Members of the Bulgaria Dialogue Team: A Real Chance or Just Symbolism?
Answering a parliamentary question on October 14, the prime minister said he will respect the representatives the “united opposition” proposes; the next step is aligning the Action Plan on Minorities.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, answering a question from MP Arbana Pasholi of the European Front in Parliament on October 14, said the Government is holding a dialogue with Bulgaria and invited the parties of the “united opposition” to take part directly. He asked them to propose representatives for the team that will lead the dialogue with the “eastern neighbor” and promised the Government would respect their choice.
Mickoski repeated that the EU remains a strategic goal “with no retreat” and blamed the current situation on the policies of the previous SDSM and DUI government. As signs of change he cited recent contacts between the two countries’ foreign ministers and meetings with EU Commissioner Marta Kos. The next step, he said, is aligning the Action Plan on Minorities, which he says 26 EU members have accepted but Bulgaria has not, adding that without it even a constitutional change would not be enough to continue negotiations. These are the prime minister’s claims, not independently confirmed facts.
What is not known: in the articles we checked no team members are named, the opposition’s mandate is not explained, and we found no reaction to the invitation from SDSM, Levica or VLEN. The proposal comes in a week when relations with Sofia are further strained by the Mihailova case, and the Foreign Ministry summoned the Bulgarian ambassador on October 13. Whether the invitation turns into a joint position or stays a political message depends on whether the opposition answers and on what terms.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 15, 2026
