Enlargement Commissioner Checks up on Macedonia

Stefan Fuele | Photo by: EC

Fuele’s visit comes one month before the expected publication of a European Commission report on the country.

Macedonia hopes that it will contain, for the third time in a row, a recommendation for the country to start EU accession talks.

“I think both we and the European Commission will have reason to feel satisfied with what's been accomplished,” the Vice Prime Minister in charge of EU affairs, Teuta Arifi, said on Friday.

She said that her country had done most of its homework when it came to addressing the main issues that Brussels noted this summer.

On taking up her post in July, Arifi set a September 5 deadline for all ministries to complete the reforms that Brussels had requested for this year.

One of the issues pinpointed was reform of the public administration. In past years Brussels has repeatedly described the civil service as cumbersome, inefficient and as politically influenced. It says reforms in this area have been very slow.

To address this concern, Macedonia this year adopted several laws. These include introducing a proper career system and tougher rules concerning the conduct and selection of public servants. One novelty is psychological tests for civil servants.

Other issues that the Commission said needed urgent attention were the judiciary, the work of the Interior Ministry and insufficient efforts to devolve power to local government. Media independence was also mentioned as problematic.

Arifi says the government has worked hard to address these concerns and expressed hopes of getting a “pass grade” from Brussels.

Brussels has also urged a speedy solution to the dispute with Greece on the country's name.

Despite having recommended a start to Macedonia’s EU accession talks, Skopje's bid to make progress remains hostage to a Greek blockade linked to the name dispute.
 
Athens objects strongly to use of the name "Republic of Macedonia", saying it implies a territorial claim to the northern Greek province of the same name.

Arifi admits that this issue remains complicated. She detects a will to solve the issue in both countries but declined to predict an imminent solution.