EU Accession Pressure: The European Parliament adopted a North Macedonia progress report urging Skopje to pass the constitutional changes needed to open the first negotiating cluster, while also keeping pressure on rule of law, judicial reform and anti-corruption results. Language Rights at the Center: MEPs backed an amendment calling for Albanian-language exams in North Macedonia’s state testing, including the bar exam, and urged authorities to treat related student protests as rights-based rather than destabilizing. Bulgaria Tensions Escalate: A Macedonia Foundation mapping alleged Bulgarian business interests of PM Hristijan Mickoski was paired with a call-off of a planned June 21 border blockade after appeals from Bulgaria’s embassy and foreign ministry. Diplomatic Arson Case Moves Up: Prosecutors transferred the June 15 arson attack on Bulgarian diplomatic vehicles in Skopje to an organized-crime track, charging the suspect with endangering persons under international protection and seeking a 30-day detention measure. Reform Warning: Bulgaria’s PM Rumen Radev said North Macedonia is failing on human rights and diplomatic mission security, while also arguing Skopje is trying to delay EU talks. Energy & Economy: ESM signed a World Bank grant for preparatory work on the REK Bitola 1 cogeneration plant, tied to modernization and district heating expansion. Regional EU Alignment: The EEA welcomed Ukraine as a cooperating country in its environmental monitoring network, extending cooperation that already includes North Macedonia. Sports Diplomacy: Italy’s embassy in Skopje highlighted sports diplomacy ahead of the 20th Mediterranean Games, with a large North Macedonia delegation.