The European Parliament has adopted the report on North Macedonia, authored by Austrian MEP Thomas Waitz, without any mention of the “Macedonian language and identity.” Amendments proposed by the largest political groups - the European People's Party (EPP), the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), and Renew Europe - resulted in the removal of all references to these formulations. The final version was approved in Strasbourg with 461 votes in favor, 121 against, and 107 abstentions.

Among the deleted phrases were statements asserting the EU’s consistent recognition of “the Macedonian language and identity,” as well as lines affirming their importance as part of the nation’s heritage and constitutional order. Another removed passage emphasized European institutions’ reference to the Macedonian language in line with the Prespa Agreement. A previous proposal to insert the qualifier “modern” before the terms was also blocked by Hungarian MEPs from Viktor Orban’s party during committee discussions.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the resolution, highlighting that it does not engage the European Parliament in political narratives from Skopje that seek to avoid commitments under the 2022 European compromise. According to Sofia, issues of identity and language fall outside the remit of institutional assessment and should remain the subject of academic and scholarly dialogue.

The adopted report also strongly addresses the issue of foreign influence in North Macedonia. Rapporteur Thomas Waitz pointed to the presence of external actors - namely Serbian, Chinese, and Russian interests - as a threat to the country’s sovereignty and European path. The resolution explicitly condemns the “Serbian World” project, describing it as a geopolitical initiative by Belgrade with aims to destabilize regional borders and exert control across the Western Balkans, including in North Macedonia. It singles out the participation of North Macedonian government officials in forums aligned with this concept, denouncing such involvement.

Point 80 of the report expresses direct concern over the Macedonian government’s support for the “Serbian World,” while Point 81 urges the opening of archives from the Yugoslav secret services (UDBA and KOS) in both Serbia and North Macedonia, as well as at the regional level, to promote transparency and democratic development across the Balkans.

The resolution warns that North Macedonia remains exposed to sustained disinformation and foreign interference operations. It flags Serbian-language media outlets in the country as amplifiers of Russian propaganda and anti-EU sentiment, and points to China's use of media sponsorship, opaque financial agreements, and strategic investments to grow its regional influence. A 2023 analysis cited in the report found that Kremlin-linked entities, via Serbian media proxies, spread narratives alleging that the EU was pressuring North Macedonia to abandon its identity.

Ultimately, the document raises alarms over Hungary and Serbia’s roles in furthering the geopolitical aims of both China and Russia. In this context, it highlights the risk posed by North Macedonia’s dependence on foreign funding, including loans from Hungary that appear to be of Chinese origin.