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Macedonia and the Western Balkans Awaiting the 2008 EU 
Progress Reports:  Back to Basics 
 
 
- B R I E F - 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Analytica, November 2008 
2 
 
In spite of having accepted Macedonia in 2005 as a candidate state for membership in the 
European Union, in its two subsequent progress reports the European Commission did not 
recommend a date for start of the accession talks. Set-back in the country's political reform 
has postponed the decision of the Commission to propose the start of negotiations. 
However, in order to speed up Macedonia’s pace towards a next step in its EU integration, 
the Union handed to the Macedonian government in March 2008 a Roadmap with eight 
benchmarks, once fulfilled, would lead to setting a date on start of accession talks for 
membership. Three months after, in the parliamentary elections held on 1 June, the country 
failed to meet fully the European commitments for democratic elections. The elections 
featured violence, intimidation and ballot staffing.1 The result of this was adding the proper 
conduct of elections as the ninth criterion for start of EU accession talks. Thus, delaying the 
decision of the Commission to recommend for start of accession talks for another spring. 
         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Macedonia received its candidacy status in 2005 as an acknowledgement to the reforms the 
country had made, the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement (OFA) being 
one of the most important ones. This was set out in the Progress Report (Opinion on 
Macedonia’s application for membership) of 2005, which can be considered the most 
positive one so far. The two subsequent progress reports, of 2006 and of 2007, highlighted 
Macedonia’s reform progress but did not give a green light on setting a date for start of the 
accession talks due to the set back in the reform progress in Macedonia, including in the 
                                                 
1. Early Parliamentary Elections 1 June 2008 - Final Report. OSCE/ ODIHR’s Elections Observation Commission. 
Warsaw, 20 August 2008. <http://www.osce.org/item/32619.html> 
Facing 5 November 2008, when the Commission is to publish the progress reports, 
Macedonia and the wider Balkan region are considering the options for speeding up the 
process of accession to the EU. However, the difficulties faced with regards to political 
reforms, such as lack of political dialogue between the government and opposition 
decreases the likeliness that Macedonia will start accession talks in the years to come 
unless there is consolidated reform process that would be tested in the upcoming 
elections of March 2009.  
3 
 
implementation of both the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and the Ohrid 
Framework Agreement. Issues of concern include political dialogue within democratic 
institutions; effective implementation of the Law on Police; judiciary reforms; anti-
corruption; depolitisation and strengthening of the public administration; reducing 
unemployment in view of creating an employment – friendly environment; improving the 
general business environment. These issues together with the requirement for proper 
conduct of elections have become known as benchmarks against which the EU will evaluate 
the progress of the country towards the start of negotiations. 
Three years in row, absence of start of accession talks has had both domestic and European 
repercussions. Domestically, the government has not been encouraged to undertake required 
reforms and European wise, the influence of the EU on the domestic political changes has 
been weakened. These repercussions, coupled with the failure to get to NATO due to the 
name dispute with Greece, have led to fragmentation in the public opinion on the 
significance of the integration into EU.  
The situation further deteriorated with the Parliament’s decision to hold early elections on 1 
June 2008. The elections, featuring violence, failed to meet the required standards for 
conduct of elections. This resulted with adding of a new condition on the EU's “to do” list 
for start of accession talks, that of proper conduct of elections and implementation of the 
recommendations of the international community on the issue.2 
Failure with this progress report can not be a reason for not pursuing further reforms. What 
must not be forgotten is that the EU requirements for membership are not the means but an 
end to itself and Macedonia should abandon its student mentality and follow roadmaps for 
its own sake.3 Recent efforts undertaken to amend the constitution on the part of elections 
of the President by decreasing the required threshold from 50% to 40% of the total voter 
turn out, is the right step. More efforts will need to be undertaken for consolidating the State 
Elections Commission in its professionalism and independence. Free, fair and peaceful 
elections and functional political dialogue in the democratic institutions are criteria 
appropriate to a country which is to sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the 
Union and not to a country candidate for membership awaiting start of negotiations. Thus, 
                                                 
2. Ibid. 
3. Analytica. Of Homework and Roadmaps: How to Speed up EU Integration of Macedonia. Skopje: Analytica, March 2008. 
<http://www.analyticamk.org/files/ReportNo10.pdf> 
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additional efforts will need to be undertaken to calm down political climate as both the 
presidential and municipal elections is expected to feature bitter competition among the 
political rivals. 
There are two big minuses which stand out. One of the minuses is on the area of promotion 
of a constructive and inclusive dialogue, in particular in areas which require consensus 
among all political parties. The many blockages in the parliament, boycott instead of 
dialogue and clear inability for reaching a consensus on issues of outmost and strategic 
importance for the country, as well as the obvious dysfunctional cohabitation contribute to 
creating an image of an instable political climate in Macedonia, as well as doubt in the 
democratic processes in the country. The other minus refers to the conduct of the June 2008 
parliamentary elections. The low level of political culture, level of irregularities, as well as 
inability to maintain a peaceful atmosphere on elections day which calumniated with a 
person being shot dead (in spite of the circumstances), are simply things which an EU 
candidate country must not allow to happen. 
 
Is there more to these eight plus one benchmarks? 
Aside from these nine benchmarks, there are issues whose influence on Macedonia’s EU 
start and course of accession talks can not be disregarded. These include first and most of all 
Macedonia’s relations with Greece and the resolving of the name dispute. It is more than 
obvious that the name dispute has entered the list of preconditions for Macedonia’s 
membership in the EU. Thus, a solution on the name dispute has become a must for 
Macedonia’s integrations. However, it is not expected to influence the start of accession talks 
and the liberalisation of the visa regime. 
Additionally, EU’s internal preparedness for enlargement is always a factor to be taken into 
consideration (in spite of Europe’s firm determination that the Western Balkans has its 
certain future in the Union), as well as its internal problems and other priorities – such as the 
ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the international financial and economic crisis, the Georgia 
situation, and soon we can also add here the forthcoming elections for the EU Parliament. 
However, as can be seen from Croatia’s example, if a country maintains a steady reform 
course and progress, it can most certainly count on a secure place for start of accession talks. 
5 
 
What after the 5th of November? Macedonia and the Western Balkans 
Croatia is expected to complete the negotiations in 2009, and to be soon afterwards 
admitted in full membership as EU’s 28th Member State. This will move Europe’s borders to 
Bosnia and Herzegovina and further into the heart of the Balkans, a progress which is worth 
to be noted.  
Serbia is to accelerate its pace towards Europe, as soon as it resolves the issues of 
cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and with 
the status of Kosovo, including its relations with the EULEX mission in Kosovo. Main 
reforms on Serbia’s way, aside from these two issues, are fighting organized crime and 
corruption, reform of the judiciary as well as progress in improving the business climate. 
Montenegro’s challenges are improving its administrative capacities, strengthening the rule 
of law, fighting crime and corruption. Bosnia and Herzegovina will need to undergo deep 
institutional reform processes, having the disputes in the tripartite presidency as the main 
obstacle on Bosnia’s road to the EU. Albania also has a lot more to do on its road to the 
EU. It will have to deal with rule of law and fight against organized crime and corruption. 
As can be noted, from the all western Balkan countries, 5 November will feature progress 
only in the case of Croatia. However, what all the countries from the western Balkans are 
hoping for is the visa liberalisation in 2009. A recommendation for abolishing of visas for 
Macedonia’s citizens might be one of the positive news which Macedonia is going to receive 
from the EC on the 5 November. 
 
 


Macedonia and the Western Balkans awaiting the 2008 EU progress reports: back to basics

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