Balgarianovinite.com Interviewed on www.portalb.mk, French Ambassador in Skopje Christophe Le Rigoleur singled out the 2022 compromise and the obligations arising from it in relation to the EU accession negotiation process as one of the main issues remaining on North Macedonia’s path toward the European Union. He insisted that this compromise is not a bilateral agreement with Bulgaria, but rather a text signed between North Macedonia and the EU.
The diplomat was referring to a compromise, also known as “the French proposal,” made by the French EU Council Presidency in 2022 which, without making a specific mention of a “Bulgarian minority”, obliged the government of North Macedonia to protect the rights of all “minorities and communities” by preventing hate speech and discrimination and to respect the 2017 Friendship Treaty with Bulgaria by including Bulgarians as a state-constituent people in the country’s constitution.
“A bit of semantics. Let me clarify: the 2022 compromise is not a Bulgarian compromise, but a text that was signed between North Macedonia and the European Union. Through that text, North Macedonia undertook obligations toward the European Union,” Le Rigoleur said. “I believe we must be realistic: the 2022 compromise will not be reopened and will not be renegotiated. Renegotiating the 2022 compromise would lead us to only one outcome-we would all lose time. I do not think that is a good idea,” he added.
According to the Ambassador, the way forward is not renegotiation, but finding a way to implement the compromise in a “politically acceptable manner and within a reasonable timeframe”.
“What we want to work on is finding ways not to renegotiate it, but to implement it while trying to secure political support so that it can be accepted politically and carried out within a reasonable timeframe. We know that the 2022 compromise is complex and complicated, with elements that unfold one after another, and we know that it is not always simple,” he said.
“Our position has remained the same throughout: we need a sincere, open, and calm dialogue between Skopje and Sofia. We are pleased to observe that since the new government took office in Sofia, there have been the first gestures and the first meetings for bilateral talks,” Le Rigoleur said.
However, he warned that the process will not be easy and that there may be provocations, from actors who do not want to see relations between the two countries improve.
“There will most likely be provocations, irresponsible statements, accusations, and so on. Therefore, we must all act reasonably in this regard, manage the situation calmly and maturely, so that all of us – the Macedonian, Bulgarian, and European politicians accompanying this dialogue – are prepared to commit ourselves sincerely and engage in a credible dialogue,” Le Rigoleur said, quoted by www.meta.mk.
Another important issue for North Macedonia, according to the Ambassador, is disinformation. He said that the country’s blocked path toward the EU creates room for actors who may exploit public frustration through manipulative campaigns.
He said that in North Macedonia France will continue to support initiatives aimed at promoting media literacy, independent investigative journalism, and the fight against information manipulation.
Regarding the reforms that the country is expected to carry out, he advised caution, especially in the area of rule of law and counter-corruption and the independence of the judiciary. France has sent technical experts working in the three key ministries for the implementation of the requisite reforms.
“It is good to adopt laws, but it is even better to implement them. That is something we pay close attention to, and it is a democratic necessity in a democratic country like this one. Ultimately, it will be the citizens of this country who must judge whether the reforms have actually been implemented,” Le Rigoleur said in his interview according to www.meta.mk. French Ambassador in Skopje: North Macedonia Assumed Obligations to EU by Signing 2022 Compromise 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-09 17:54:49 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law