This statement was assessed by the local media as “a very extreme position that calls into question the country’s European integration.”
There will be no constitutional changes while I am prime minister (of North Macedonia, ed.).
The country’s prime minister Hristijan Mickoski made this categorical statement today in Skopje, BGNES reports.
This statement was assessed by local media as “a very extreme position” that calls into question the country’s European integration. According to the private agency “Makfax,” the prime minister has further reinforced his tough stance on constitutional changes.
He stressed that if two key conditions are not met – guaranteed rights for Macedonians in Bulgaria and firm guarantees that the country will not face blockades again for subjective reasons – then the country will not join the EU.
In response to a parliamentary question from MP Skender Rejepi, the prime minister replied that the first condition is for the Macedonian community in Bulgaria to receive the rights that belong to it in accordance with international law, international conventions, and human rights resolutions.
“There will be no constitutional changes while I am prime minister unless at least two conditions are met. The first is that Macedonians in Bulgaria receive their guaranteed rights, and the second is that we receive clear guarantees that there will be no more bilateral vetoes, humiliations, and blockades for subjective reasons,” he said.
Mickoski specified that criticism and conditions related to the rule of law, the fight against crime, or the malfunctioning of institutions are legitimate, but “identity and bilateral issues should not be a reason to hinder the country’s European path.”
He reiterated that he would not support constitutional changes without these guarantees and called on MPs not to support such a process in the future without, as he said, clear protection of national and identity issues.
In his address, the prime minister also touched on the situation with the rights of Macedonians in Bulgaria, stating that they are only seeking the opportunity to associate and represent their rights through the OMO “Ilinden” – Pirin organization.
“Their rights to cultural autonomy, language, and identity have been taken away. Today, they are only seeking an association that will represent their rights. Is that too much to ask?” he asked.
Stay tuned for more details. | BGNES