Enlargement Commissioner Stepha Fule said today that the Former Yuroslav Republic of Macedonia must implement a political agreement he brokered in March between the ruling party and opposition and highlighted the importance of improving freedom of expression if the country wants to stay on a course to accede to the bloc.
It is important that "outstanding political issues be addressed, in order to create a positive climate later this year when the Member States will next make decisions about the enlargement process," Fule said following a meeting on FYROM's EU membership bid held today in Brussels.
Fule's concerns regard an incident that took place on December 24 during which the opposition and the press were ejected from the parliament and then the government went ahead to push through a contriversial budget with just over half of FYROM's MPs in the chamber.
Following the incident the main opposition party, the Social Democrats (SDSM), boycotted parliament and demanded that the government call early national elections. The government rejected that call, prompting the SDSM to threaten to boycott local elections scheduled for 24 March.
The crisis was resolved with the intervention of Fule and two MEPs, Richard Howitt and Jerzy Buzek, a centre-left British MEP and a centre-right Polish one.
The agreement stipulated that after the local elections that were held on March 24, with candidates from the opposition eventually taking part, there would be talks that could lead to early national elections, that an independent commission would investigate what led to the parliamentary showdown on 24 December and that the inquiry would include a review of he parliament's security system and rules of procedure. The launch of a formal dialogue with the media was also be launched was also agreed to.
But Fule said that he regretted hearing that the head of the in depended commission has resigned and added that implementing the deal fully is essential. He also repeated that freedom of expression, in particular in the media, is a priority area for the EU.
FYROM has been a candidate for membership since 2005, but Greece has blocked the start of formal accession talks. The two countries are involved in a dispute over the aspiring member's name. FYROM has styled itself as Macedonia which Greece says is unacceptable. But FYROM also has a troubled relationship with Bulgaria, another neighbour and EU member.
The EU's Council of Ministers today noted in a statement issued after the meeting that "steps have been taken in bilateral relations with Bulgaria and Greece, as well as on the name issue."
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