- September 03, 2020
On September 3, 2020 Aspen Germany hosted a public virtual discussion called „North Macedonia After Elections – A Clear Path to EU Accession Negotiations?“ in cooperation with the European Policy Institute (EPI) from Skopje. Simonida Kacarska, Director of the European Policy Institute, Matthias Lüttenberg, Head of Division 212 Bilateral Relations to the Countries of Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus and Central Asia, German Federal Chancellery, Thomas Motak, Deputy Head of Division E12, EU External Affairs (EU Enlargement, European Neighbourhood Policy, EU External Financing Instruments) at the German Federal Foreign Office, and Malinka Ristevska Jordanova, Member of the Managing Board of the European Policy Institute, shared their assessments of the situation in North Macedonia after the elections. Given the special spotlight the country currently enjoys as a consequence of the opening of EU accession negotiations, the panelists addressed the preparation and commencement of the negotiations as well as the question of how quickly country will be able to advance reform processes in the fields of rule of law and democracy. The role of Bulgaria in these processes was discussed and also topics such as the internationally celebrated Prespa Agreement of 2018 and 2015’s wiretap scandal were also touched upon. The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences for North Macedonia and the wider region were another focus of the discussion. This event was open to the interested public.
