Former President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, has issued a stark warning that the country may be heading toward a prolonged political and economic stagnation similar to the years-long deadlock following the NATO Summit veto in Bucharest. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Pendarovski cautioned that without decisive action and commitment to meeting the European Union’s conditions, North Macedonia risks wasting yet another decade in limbo over its EU aspirations.
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What makes the current situation even more concerning, according to the former president, is the visible erosion of public enthusiasm for EU integration.
“According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, trust in the EU has dropped to 54%. And even that number is sustained mainly by the support of ethnic Albanians. If you ask only ethnic Macedonians, support is around 30%—a figure you only see in Serbia,” Pendarovski highlighted.
He attributed this drop in optimism to years of disappointment, economic hardship, and repeated political promises that have failed to materialize. The result, he warned, is a society that has become “anesthetized” to the rhetoric of its political elite.
“I’m not saying this will lead to a security crisis, but it will clearly signal a deepening demographic crisis—both Macedonians and Albanians could begin leaving the country permanently in even greater numbers,” Pendarovski cautioned.
His remarks come at a critical time when North Macedonia is under increasing pressure to implement reforms and resolve lingering disputes that have stalled its EU accession path. Without renewed political will and societal momentum, the country faces the very real danger of drifting further away from its European future.