Episode 61: Bulgaria blocks North Macedonia’s EU aspirations

>>> Support the podcast, become a patron: www.patreon.com/TalkEasternEurope On November 17 2020, Bulgaria officially vetoed the European Union’s accession talks with North Macedonia. Officially, the dispute is over unresolved historical and language issues. Despite some progress in its Euro-Atlantic aspirations – which includes joining NATO in June 2020 – there are now many questions as to what next for the small former-Yugoslav country.In this episode, Adam meets up with Bojan Stojkovski – a journalist based in Skopje, North Macedonia. They discuss the background of the Bulgarian veto and its effect on Macedonian politics and attitudes to EU integration.Resources: “A case of the tail wagging the dog? Bulgaria, the EU and North Macedonia” By: Tomasz Kamusella New Eastern Europe 10 December 2020: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/12/10/a-case-of-the-tail-wagging-the-dog-bulgaria-the-eu-and-north-macedonia/“What lurks behind Bulgaria’s “veto” on North Macedonia’s accession talks?” By: Radosveta Vassileva. New Eastern Europe 30 November 2020: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/11/30/what-lurks-behind-bulgarias-veto-on-north-macedonias-accession-talks-%ef%bb%bf/ Additional music: Morning Rhythm by Rafael Krux. Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5338-morning-rhythm- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Talk Eastern Europe is a member of the EuroPod Network. Learn more here: https://www.bullemedia.eu/europod