The EU’s Broken Promise: North Macedonia, Italy and the Contradictions of Enlargement

This thesis critically examines the complex interplay between Italy’s bilateral influence, the European Union’s enlargement policy, and the internal governance challenges that impede North Macedonia’s EU accession. While Italy plays a supportive role in judicial reforms and anti-corruption efforts, its influence is constrained by limited resources and a focus on diplomatic engagement rather than substantive interventions. The EU’s enlargement strategy, meanwhile, suffers from a fragmented approach, characterized by geopolitical considerations, divided member states, and inconsistent application of conditionality. North Macedonia’s accession process is further hindered by entrenched nationalism, state capture, and pervasive corruption, which exacerbate governance weaknesses and erode public trust. Bilateral disputes, namely with Bulgaria, have evolved into insurmountable barriers, reflecting the EU’s inability to mediate effectively or prioritize its foundational principles. This thesis argues that the slow and ineffective nature of North Macedonia’s EU accession exemplifies the broader stagnation of EU enlargement policy in the Western Balkans. Moreover, the thesis examines the nature of the relationship between Italy, the EU, and North Macedonia, questioning whether it represents a strategic cooperation that benefits all parties based on shared values or a neo-colonial dynamic. A nuanced perspective is maintained, underlining that Italy has an ambiguous role in promoting certain reforms while simultaneously grappling with its own critical issues related to corruption. Moreover, this thesis asserts that Italy and the EU do not adopt a neo-colonial approach. Instead, EU structural limitations, such as fragmented decision-making and the unanimity rule, enable member states like Bulgaria to exert disproportionate and potentially colonial-like influence over candidate countries. Bulgaria's demands, rooted in historical and identity disputes, exemplify these challenges by setting high barriers to North Macedonia’s EU membership. To deepen the analysis, this thesis analyses with Bulgaria’s own EU accession journey, evaluating whether the conditions and expectations placed on North Macedonia are disproportionately stringent compared to those Bulgaria faced. By examining these dynamics, the study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and contradictions in North Macedonia’s EU integration process while offering insights into Italy’s bilateral role and the structural flaws of the EU enlargement framework.