Are EU citizens spoofed? We have forgotten what life is like, says Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia

Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia Bujar Osmani visited Helsinki to seek support for the country's EU membership.

Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia Bujar Osmani visited Helsinki on Thursday.

Sara Vainio HS

Released: 16.8. 18:30

Recently, the European Union has not really received praise from its member countries. Britain is packing its bags, and nationalists across the continent are blaming the Union for its miserable state.

However, the EU has at least one fan, and from his point of view, we, the breeders of the euro countries, have been spoiled.

“The EU is the best project for all mankind. It brought peace and stability to a continent full of hate and slaughter. Not to mention the invisible economic development and the well-being of the people inside the Union, ”says Bujar Osmani, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration in Northern Macedonia.

“I think the new generations in the EU countries take their position for granted. They have lost touch with the atrocities, conflicts and nationalism that used to dominate Europe. ”

The young northern Macedonia on the Balkan Peninsula is just striving for EU membership. That is why Osmani is in Helsinki, seeking support from the EU Presidency for his country's application.

In our view, the preoccupations with the debate over the future of the Union do not dampen Osman's enthusiasm.

“As one country leaves, six others knock at the door. The EU is more than a Brexit, ”he says.

"I have personally generation that has lived in the Balkans conflict and to continue the midst of fear. The future could not be predicted. For my part, I would like my children to live in a stable country where there is no need to worry about what happens next. ”

Northern Macedonia is a small country between East and West that wants to position itself in Europe. Does it sound familiar?

The country, formerly known as Macedonia, has been seeking EU access since 2005, but the road has been unusually long and rocky.

For years, dreams came up against a peculiar name dispute: Greece, a neighboring country, did not accept the name of the Republic of Macedonia, which was independent of Yugoslavia in 1991, but considered its own territory to be the only true Macedonia.

The controversy may sound trivial to an outsider, but in Osman's words, it is a "very painful and sensitive" issue. Therefore, Greece exercised its right of veto both in the EU and in the military alliance in NATO and blocked its neighbors' membership.

The dispute was only resolved last year when the countries voted as a compromise to rename the state Northern Macedonia.

“Not everyone was happy with the solution, but we had no choice. Either we tackle the difficult problem and open the way for our country to move forward, or we lose the next generation to the present. ”

The change has required a lot of thawing and restraint from politicians.

"We still use Macedonian in everyday language, but in official contexts we are very specific about the name because it is so sensitive."

The new name was immediately effective: in February, northern Macedonia was invited to join NATO. The decision to open EU membership negotiations was due in June, but the decision will be delayed until October.

Finland supports the opening of membership negotiations with Northern Macedonia, but the process requires the approval of all member states.

EU membership has enormous support among Macedonians. According to Osman, the dream of the EU is like an adhesive that brings many otherwise disparate groups together. Without this glue, different ethnic groups would turn against each other.

Possible EU membership is also a trump card for the government, led by the center-left SDSM, which allows it to undergo legal reforms.

“In the Balkans, the general trend is towards conservatism, nationalism and alienation. In northern Macedonia, the current political elite have decided to swim upstream, against public opinion, ”Osmani explains.

“We have created a culture of compromise in an area that is not really known for compromise. If it is not rewarded, for example if the decision is negative in October, we have committed political suicide. It would also be an encouragement to nationalists in the Balkans to continue their work. I don't think the EU wants it. "

Osmani also believes that it would be in the interests of internal European security to include the countries of the Western Balkans in the Union.

“There is no geopolitical vacuum. Someone will always fill the space. ”

What, then, is rubbing over Northern Macedonia's membership?

According to Finnish Minister of European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen (sd), there is at least one major obstacle on the road: corruption.

Throughout its independence, northern Macedonia has been at the forefront of international corruption statistics. Many powerful figures are involved in scandals. Even Osmani has been questioned.

However, the development has looked good. The EU has long been monitoring northern Macedonia and reports show that the country has made significant progress in improving its administration and judiciary.

Indeed, the latest major bribe scandal, unveiled in June, was a bad blow to a small country's EU aspirations.

"It digs underneath all the work we do," Osmani sighs.

“There is still a gap between law and practice. Dismantling an old corrupt and inefficient system is not easy. ”

Osmani is also trying to see the opportunity. If the judicial system in the country is able to investigate the allegations and bring the right persons to justice, this is one indication of the maturity of the institutions.

"This crisis seems like a deliberate experiment before the EU decision," Osmani says.

“We encourage the judiciary to investigate all allegations, no matter where they lead. Even if the traces reach the highest authorities, everyone must suffer the consequences of their actions. Only then do we show that our country is ready. ”