Siljanovska Versus von der Leyen: The Copenhagen Criteria Against the Bilateral Dispute
President Siljanovska-Davkova said the imposed bilateral dispute must not take precedence over the Copenhagen criteria, accusing the EU of showing weakness toward candidate countries while showing power in its offer to Canada.
North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, in a statement linked to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's visit, said: "The imposed bilateral dispute must not take precedence over the Copenhagen criteria." With that she directly raised the question of whether conditions set by Bulgaria over constitutional amendments should outrank the standard EU membership criteria defined back in 1993.
Siljanovska went further, saying "the EU demonstrates powerlessness toward candidate countries, while showing power in its offer to Canada" — a reference contrasting the speed of certain EU trade and diplomatic arrangements with external partners against the pace of the Western Balkans accession process. She warned that "EU pressure on a state to close a historical dispute opens a dilemma about European principles and consistency."
The statements come against the backdrop of von der Leyen's announced "first step" next week and her advice on a bilateral meeting with Bulgaria, pointing to differing tones between institutions in Skopje — the president stressing the principled question of criteria, while the government has already taken a concrete diplomatic step through its note to Sofia.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 3, 2026
