Von der Leyen: EU wants North Macedonia

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia got a boost from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday for the country's hopes of eventually joining the European Union amid a dispute with Bulgaria.

“We want you in the EU,” von der Leyen said in the Macedonian language in an address to North Macedonia's parliament.

Von der Leyen pledged her backing for a French proposal that will pave the way for accession talks for the tiny Balkan country and eliminate Bulgaria’s objections.

“Bilateral issues, such are history issues, are not conditions for accession," von der Leyen told North Macedonia’s parliament in an address. “There can be no doubt that Macedonian is your language”

She added that that the French “proposal also respects your national identity," and said that this is the time for North Macedonia to move forward.

The difficulty of selling the French compromise proposal was evident in the presence of thousands of protesters outside the parliament building who denounced it as a sellout. Even inside parliament, while most lawmakers stood respectfully and applauded von der Leyen, she was briefly interrupted by whistles and shouts.

The proposal, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron at the NATO summit in Madrid last month, envisages concessions from both sides. The government in North Macedonia would commit to changing its constitution to recognize a Bulgarian minority, protect minority rights and banish hate speech, as Bulgaria, an EU member since 2007, has demanded.

The ruling Social Democrats and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski are backing the proposal as a reasonable compromise. The government believes the deal doesn't endanger national interests or identity and unblocks the path for the country to join the EU.

But the center-right...