At the Budapest Global Dialogue 2025 conference, North Macedonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Timčo Mucunski delivered a forceful keynote speech calling on the European Union to abandon complacency and embrace a future of purposeful leadership. Citing Hungary as an example of strategic renewal, he emphasized the need for open dialogue across Europe amid a fast-changing global landscape.
‘The architecture we inherited is showing its cracks,’ Mucunski said. ‘The EU must not aim to preserve the status quo—it must aim to lead.’
Reiterating his country’s deep commitment to EU integration, Mucunski voiced frustration at the prolonged uncertainty surrounding North Macedonia’s accession process. While his government remains committed to European values, he drew a firm line on national identity. ‘The Macedonian people have paid the price of patience and compromise,’ he stated, ‘but our language, our identity, and our history are not negotiable. They are the soul of our nation.’
‘The EU must not aim to preserve the status quo—it must aim to lead’
Mucunski argued that the EU must strike a balance—remaining open to new members while protecting its internal cohesion. He called for a renewed commitment to the principle of subsidiarity, empowering member states to govern in line with their citizens’ voices, rather than being dictated from the centre.
He also reaffirmed the enduring value of the transatlantic alliance, calling it ‘one of the greatest constants we still have—and constancy in times like these is a source of strength.’ Without unity between the EU and the United States, he warned, Europe would not be able to shift its gaze from the past to the future.
The minister urged the EU to do more than adapt—to actively lead. Enlargement, especially in the Western Balkans, should be seen not as a peripheral issue, but as central to the EU’s mission. ‘The Western Balkans is not Europe’s backyard,’ he said. ‘It is Europe.’
‘The Western Balkans is not Europe’s backyard…It is Europe’
While welcoming the EU’s growth plan for the region, Mucunski stressed the need for ‘strategic resilience’, including investments in technology, research, and talent. These, he said, are the true battlegrounds of the future economy.
‘It’s time for another European century,’ he concluded. ‘But that will only happen if the EU finds the courage to lead. North Macedonia is ready.’
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