French ambassador Le Rigoleur: France is “fully ready” to help ease dialogue between Skopje and Sofia
The ambassador says the key step is restoring trust, and dismissed rumors of secret talks as unfounded.
French Ambassador in Skopje Christophe Le Rigoleur said in an interview for the show “Evropat” on TV 24, published on October 25, that France is “fully ready” to help ease dialogue between Skopje and Sofia, through a framework and modalities that both sides would jointly agree on.
He could not say whether the European Commission will directly join the talks. He added that Paris, together with several EU member states, is committed to overcoming the blockade and bringing constructive solutions to the negotiating table. It is not stated which member states those are.
What is key according to the ambassador? Restoring mutual trust, which he called a basic precondition for North Macedonia's European integration. Quoted: “The goal is to renew the dialogue of trust between Skopje and Sofia” and “We need to restore trust between the two cities, because that is a key element for the future of North Macedonia's European integration”. He dismissed rumors of secret talks behind the scenes as unfounded.
The report on the interview mentions neither constitutional amendments nor a concrete compromise proposal, so we cannot say what the ambassador said on that topic. It also contains only a general remark on the Mihajlova case: institutions must follow legal standards, and justice for the victim and her family must be served.
Background: France proposed the 2022 European compromise on which the condition for a constitutional amendment rests. Since then Brussels has repeated that North Macedonia must take that step, while Skopje says the reforms are being delivered and that the obstacles are “artificial”. On October 23, Commissioner Marta Kos again said the constitutional amendment is an obligation.
Is there a real mediating role? France's offer is a public message, and to have effect it needs consent from both Skopje and Sofia. The available reports carry no reaction to the offer from either the Macedonian government or Bulgarian authorities, so we do not know whether it will be accepted.
What is not known? It is not known what framework France would propose, or which states would take part. It is not known whether Brussels would back such an initiative. It is also unclear when such a dialogue could begin.
What does it mean? The offer is a sign that part of the EU sees that the blockade will not resolve itself. Whether it becomes a process will depend on whether the two governments accept it.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 26, 2026
