Ursula von der Leyen in Skopje: North Macedonia seeks a fair accession process with no new conditions

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is today (Friday, 2 October 2026) in Skopje, on the last stop of her Western Balkans tour, after Tirana, Pristina and Podgorica. As the 4NEWS newsroom reports, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski received her in a one-on-one meeting around midday, after which the bilateral meeting of the two delegations and a joint press conference were held at the Government Media Centre. As part of the visit, the President of the European Commission also meets President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova.

From the Macedonian side, according to 4NEWS reporting, the message conveyed was that the country remains determined to join the European Union, but expects the process to be fair, predictable and free of new bilateral conditions. “What we are asking for today is a fair process based on clear rules,” was the message conveyed from Skopje after the meeting, as 4NEWS reports.

A special part of the talks was devoted to relations with Bulgaria. The Macedonian side asks that open issues be overcome through dialogue, good will and mutual respect, but expects the European Union to become more actively involved in the process. As 4NEWS reports, Skopje stressed that it is not asking the EU to take sides, but to help create a lasting solution where obligations are clear and valid for both sides. “Every solution must create certainty that with its fulfilment one phase is closed and the road to the next opens, with no room for new interpretations and additional demands,” the 4NEWS reporting states.

It was also stressed that most of the obligations on the road to the EU depend on reforms that must be implemented inside the country: the rule of law, public administration reform, improving the business climate, digitalisation and education reforms. Corridor VIII was mentioned as an example of concrete European integration, expected to bring better road and rail connectivity, more trade and easier movement of people. The meeting was assessed as a step towards greater trust, more open dialogue and more concrete cooperation with the European Union, as 4NEWS reports.