Today, MEP Irena Joveva addressed the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on EU–Western Balkans relations in the light of the new enlargement package.

In her address, she reminded the European Union that it has been promising EU membership to the Western Balkan countries for years, but that the enlargement project is not being implemented in practice.

The MEP quoted part of the lyrics from a song by a well-known music group: “prazna obečanja su najbolja reklama” (empty promises are the best publicity) and explained that this is exactly how people from the Western Balkans feel, while in reality they are no less European than EU citizens.

“A promise is a promise and promises are to be kept.”

Joveva stressed that we need to be as strict on the rule of law, media freedom, human rights and other criteria in the Union as we demand from our neighbours. In her view, there are some Member States within the Union that are anything but paragons of virtue.

You can watch the full speech by the MEP by clicking here.

In today’s plenary address on the topic of continued controls at the internal borders of the Schengen area, MEP Irena Joveva, in the light of the recent judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union, stressed that the border controls in the Schengen area that are not based on legitimate reasons are unacceptable. They prevent the free movement of people and impede the commuting of cross-border workers. The free movement of people is a cornerstone of the European Union and, as such, of vital importance to Europeans. Preventing it can sow the seeds of mistrust between Member States and create discord among them. Since the reasons for the current internal border controls are far-fetched, the European Commission should present an official opinion, thereby protecting the Union’s interest, and the Member States should reach an agreement on the matter. That is possible. In this respect, borders exist only in the mind, she added.

You can watch the full speech by clicking here.

On Wednesday, 5 October 2022, MEP Irena Joveva attended a meeting between the European Parliament delegation and the North Macedonian Parliament (the Sobranie) and spoke about the state of the media and civil society in North Macedonia. First, she expressed her satisfaction at the unblocking of the accession negotiations and then, among other things, congratulated Macedonian civil society for acting as a guardian of society, protecting human rights and fighting for a better and fairer country.

During the two-day exchange of views between the two Parliaments, MEP Joveva, as Co-Chair, started her address in Macedonian and then focused on the state of the media and civil society in North Macedonia, which she follows closely. She praised the improvement in terms of media freedom in the country, which has progressed to a better level compared to other countries in the Western Balkans region. She added that the country still had some way to go in the area of fighting disinformation and ensuring transparency of state institutions.

Joveva also touched on the European Media Freedom Act. She said that the act was necessary to protect media freedom in the European Union, as political interference and government control should have no place in journalism. She stressed that media freedom is of the utmost importance for a functioning democracy.

To continue, Joveva welcomed that the accession negotiations were finally opened after they had been blocked for a long time by some EU Member States. In her speech, she also mentioned young people, who suffer the most from environmental, political and economic impacts. Other topics discussed by the participants included the energy crisis, the environment, the rule of law, good neighbourly relations, and cooperation in the region.

Referring to civil society organisations, she said: ‘They must be involved and consulted at all stages of decision-making, especially at local level in the policy-making phases.’

In conclusion, Joveva expressed her wish that the strategy for cooperation with North Macedonian civil society be implemented in a timely and transparent manner. She concluded her speech with the thought that the North Macedonian leaders should continue on the path of improvement strengthening an independent media, protecting journalists as well as the environment.

The delegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), vice-chaired by MEP Joveva, met with members of the European Parliament and the Sobranie in the presence of representatives of the European Commission. The delegation meets in person twice a year to discuss the work of the two parliaments, their cooperation, joint activities and the approximation of North Macedonia to the European Union. The two-day exchange of views was followed by a vote on recommendations.

Today, during the plenary session in Strasbourg, MEP Irena Joveva addressed the European Parliament on the Health Union.

In her contribution, she pointed out that health is a sine qua non and that the quality of treatment and access to medicines should not depend on a person’s country of origin. She added that the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) should be strengthened and stressed the importance of successfully managing cross-border threats and public health risks.

Strengthening the mandate of the ECDC will enable the European Union to be better prepared and to coordinate its response to any future health crisis. Better cooperation between a wide range of authorities at all levels, the collection of timely and comparable data across the EU, and more accurate monitoring of national health systems will make it easier to fight disease outbreaks. The Health Union will ensure a stronger EU response to public health emergencies.

Here address can be viewed here.