North Macedonia will not be included in the group of four candidate countries for EU membership—Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine—which will receive roadmaps, and is instead being sent the message that it is doing nothing regarding constitutional changes in order to be on the list of countries that could quickly join the EU, North Macedonian media outlets write in their coverage of the EC report on the country’s progress.
“Brussels reminds (North) Macedonia once again: Constitutional changes, the expert commission and the agreements with Bulgaria and Greece are key”, “EC report: (North) Macedonia is doing nothing regarding constitutional changes”, “No progress on constitutional changes and the fight against corruption in (North) Macedonia”, “Political pressure on judges and three times more court cases against journalists”, “The judiciary and the media are under political siege, reforms are stalled”, “EC report on (North) Macedonia: No attempts at constitutional changes, historical commission with Bulgaria without results; Prespa Agreement ignored from time to time”, are some of the headlines in the country concerning the contents of the EC report.
“No attempts were made to adopt the relevant constitutional changes referred to in the Council conclusions of 18 July 2022. The country has committed to initiating and implementing these amendments in order to include in its constitution citizens living within the state’s borders and belonging to other nations, such as Bulgarians,” 24.mk quotes passages from the report.
According to the EC, significant additional efforts are needed to promote an atmosphere of dialogue and mutual respect with Bulgaria, noting that the Joint Multidisciplinary Expert Commission on Historical and Educational Issues held four meetings between September 2025 and March 2026, but without concrete results, Nezavisen.mk specifies.
According to the country’s media outlets, an important point in the report is the conclusion that “existing bilateral agreements with neighbouring countries must be implemented in good faith by all parties, including the Prespa Agreement with Greece and the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria”, while also noting existing tensions in relations with Greece due to North Macedonian politicians’ refusal to use the country’s constitutional name.
The initial analysis shows a specific deterioration in several areas, stagnation in key reforms and repeated warnings about problems that the institutions have failed to resolve for years, the Racin.mk publication writes.
The report also contains other conclusions about the situation in North Macedonia, such as the lack of progress in the legal and institutional framework ensuring the democratic conduct of elections and its alignment with EU standards. Regarding the judiciary and the rule of law, the report notes that in North Macedonia laws are being adopted, “but the overall independence of the judiciary and its financial autonomy are undermined by constant interference from other levels of state authority and a drastic lack of financial and human resources”, Nezavisen.mk writes.
The country’s media outlets report a lack of progress in implementing the human resources management strategies in the judiciary since 2020, as recorded in the EC report, which calls on North Macedonia to accelerate implementation of the Judicial Reform Strategy; implement the newly adopted laws on the Judicial Council and the Council of Public Prosecutors; and promptly review the Law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office in order to strengthen these institutions.
The country’s media outlets note that the document identifies “cases in which civil society and human rights defenders have faced intimidation, online harassment and smear campaigns”, while “gender-based violence remains a serious human rights concern, encompassing domestic violence, psychological, economic and cyber violence, and femicide”.
The interethnic situation in the country is assessed as generally stable, and the Ohrid Framework Agreement continues to be implemented, but according to the EC, challenges remain, Nezavisen.mk writes.
“Before the local elections, in a highly polarised political climate, several interethnic incidents occurred. The petition and protests by a group of law students demanding that the exam be held in Albanian sparked public debate, opening up broader discussions about language rights and the fair representation of minority communities in state institutions,” the media outlets quote passages from the EC report.
According to the Racin.mk publication, which promises a series of articles analysing separate parts of the document, “19 of the 33 negotiating chapters show no or limited progress”.