Several EU senior diplomats hinted that it is almost certain that Bulgaria will place a final veto on the start of EU accession talks with North Macedonia at the European Council meeting in December, news agency MIA reported on November 30.

On November 17, EU ministers of European affairs failed to agree on the launch of accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia. North Macedonia’s EU bid was blocked by Bulgaria, while for Albania EU ministers expressed willingness to approve the start of talks only once it meets conditions that include enabling the Supreme Court to do its work and implementation of the new electoral law.

However, officials said that efforts will continue in the hope of enabling Sofia and Skopje to resolve their differences, which would allow Bulgaria to give the green light for the start of EU accession talks with North Macedonia at the beginning of December under the German EU Council presidency.

Ambassadors of EU member states met on November 30 to discuss conclusions that should be adopted on December 8 by the EU ministers of European affairs.

Diplomats were cited by MIA as saying that proposals to include dates for the first intergovernmental conferences with Albania and North Macedonia were removed from the conclusions.

“Regarding the situation, there is no hopes for intergovernmental conference and launch of the EU accession talks with North Macedonia this year due to the Bulgarian veto,” an unnamed diplomat told MIA.

The situation about Albania is still unclear after the country was told to meet some conditions before it can start the EU accession talks, it was added.

However other EU sources said that consultations on the issue are continuing.

Bulgaria wants North Macedonia to accept that the Macedonian language is a Bulgarian dialect and that Macedonian nation was artificially created in 1944 and has Bulgarian roots, and to admit that there is no Macedonian minority in Bulgaria.

The issues that tackle Macedonian national identity are not acceptable for North Macedonia.

North Macedonia's main opposition VMRO-DPMNE party staged protests on November 30 in 11 Macedonian towns to defend the country's national interests following what they said was a "scandalous interview" by PM Zoran Zaev with Bulgarian media last week.

VMRO-DPMNE's leader Hristijan Mickoski accused Zaev of putting forward a wrong and unscientific thesis and revisionism of the history just to please Bulgarian politicians.

Mickoski warned that if Zaev fails to reveal details on negotiations with Bulgaria the party will be blocking the entrance of the government and foreign ministry's building starting from December 1.