North Macedonia

Show notes

In the sixth episode of Henrik Enderlein Fellow Besa Shahini’s podcast miniseries exploring the EU accession process in the Western Balkans and the lessons for EU enlargement policy, she talks to Wouter Zweers, research fellow at Clingendael's EU & Global Affairs Unit, and Lura Pollozhani, researcher at the University of Graz, about North Macedonia’s troubled path towards EU accession: Once considered a front-runner, the country lost its reform momentum due to the continuous blocking of its road towards EU accession.

After a period of hope and reforms, North Macedonia faces both social and political stagnation. Despite resolving the long-standing dispute with Greece over the name Macedonia – not least because it was required to unlock the EU accession process – North Macedonia has not yet started accession talks with the EU even though it finally received the green light back in 2020. In this episode, Besa Shahini first talks to Wouter Zweers, research fellow at Clingendael's EU & Global Affairs Unit and coordinator of Clingendael’s “Balkan Hub”, about the intergovernmental process of EU enlargement. Followed by a discussion with Lura Pollozhani researcher at the University of Graz and former adviser to the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, on North Macedonia’s recent past and its internal disgruntlement.

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