NORTH MACEDONIA'S CHALLENGING PATH TO EU INTEGRATION.

North Macedonia has been at the doorstep of the European Union since the initial 2003 Western Balkans summit in Thessaloniki, Greece. Although this milestone has reached the 20-year mark, the road to full membership into the European Union seems all the more difficult and challenging for the small mountainous Western Balkans state. For North Macedonia, the obstacles which provide context to the seemingly endless road to EU integration and possible membership, range from domestic shortcomings to historical, cultural and political predicaments with neighbors. In this paper, we will aim to analyze the case of North Macedonia, including the internal and external obstacles in its path to EU integration and propose possible resolutions and outcomes for the case and the seemingly never-ending journey towards membership status in the European Union. In this context, we will utilize EU commission reports and their key findings with regards to North Macedonia as well as recent social, political and economic developments in the country. In order to depict the case thoroughly, the first part of the paper will cover the historical development and background in relation to the EU integration, the second and third parts will cover the most recent developments and main obstacles in North Macedonia's path in both an internal and external context, and in the conclusion, we will provide a summary of the immediate concerns of North Macedonia in its path to EU integration and the possible trajectories for resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]