Reforming EU Enlargement Decision-Making: Lessons from the Bulgarian and Greek Vetoes on North Macedonia

Christidis Yorgos (Department of Balkan, Slavonic and Eastern Studies, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece), gxristidis@uom.edu.gr

This article examines North Macedonia as a prime example of a candidate state whose efforts to join the European Union (EU) have been repeatedly hindered by vetoes from several Member States, including Greece, France, and Bulgaria. The author argues that North Macedonia’s case highlights both the necessity and the challenges associated with reforming the EU’s enlargement decision-making mechanism. From a comparative and historical perspective, this paper examines the Greek and Bulgarian vetoes in North Macedonia’s accession process within the context of prevailing narratives in the two countries’ policymaking. The author uses document and discourse analysis. The article concludes with insights into the “logic” of national vetoes, the stakes involved in their use, and the prospects for reforming the EU’s enlargement decision-making process.

Keywords: EU accession, candidate country, bilateralism, qualified majority voting, reform