New EU Model for the Western Balkans: FM Mucunski Wants a Clear Line Between Reforms and Bilateral Disputes

A push for a new approach to European Union enlargement in the Western Balkans is gathering pace, with five EU member states proposing a "step-by-step" integration model covering Macedonia, Serbia, Albania and Montenegro. The authors of the proposal have called on EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos to develop fresh ideas for this type of gradual integration, with diplomatic sources suggesting some European capitals worry that prolonged delays in enlargement are opening space for Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

During a working visit to Skopje earlier this year, Kos told Macedonian media the "window" for enlargement is open wider than it has been in a generation, urging the country not to waste the opportunity. She praised Macedonia's progress on its reform agenda but stressed that real advancement toward EU membership depends on continuing the accession process and following through on commitments already made — chiefly, constitutional changes tied to minority rights.

Mucunski's Response

Speaking on the new model, Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski said Macedonia is seeking a clear distinction between substantive reform requirements and bilateral political disputes with neighboring states. Addressing Bulgaria's demand that Macedonia write a Bulgarian minority into its constitution, Mucunski said that at minimum, Bulgaria should first respect European Court of Human Rights rulings protecting the rights of Macedonians living in Bulgaria.

He said the solution accepted by the previous government is unacceptable and risks creating renewed crisis in the integration process further down the line. Among the options he floated: constitutional changes with delayed application, or clear guarantees from EU institutions themselves. He also raised the principle of international reciprocity in human rights as a second key issue.

"We must not let the path to the European Union strip us of who we are, as a state and as a people," Mucunski said. "It's on us to find a solution — one that is dignified and sustainable."

A Familiar Pattern of Promises

Macedonia has heard versions of the "momentum" message from Brussels for years without a clear timeline for when that momentum translates into actual membership. Whether the new five-country model changes that pattern — or becomes one more entry in a long list of enlargement frameworks that promised more than they delivered — remains to be seen.

MKNews Hub · Politics · August 13, 2026