North Macedonia, once among the first countries in the Western Balkans to receive EU candidate status, is now watching Montenegro and Albania move ahead in the accession process while it remains “hostage to political calculations”, according to a statement from the Alliance for Albanians in the Republic of North Macedonia.

The party stressed that constitutional amendments remain the key condition for unlocking progress in European integration, a point it says has been repeatedly emphasized by senior EU officials. It further criticized the government and its coalition partner VLEN, arguing that despite earlier promises to prioritize EU integration, they are now silent and remain in power “without guarantees, results, or accountability”. The statement warned that every lost year means fewer investments, a lower standard of living, and increased emigration of young people seeking their European future abroad, adding that the current stagnation is a political choice for which someone must be held accountable.