North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said his government will not proceed with constitutional changes and is ready to “pay the price” for that decision.
North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said his government will not proceed with constitutional changes and is ready to “pay the price” for that decision, BGNES reported.
BGNES recalls that North Macedonia accepted the so-called “French proposal,” approved by all EU member states. Under the negotiating framework, Bulgarians must be included in the Macedonian constitution before accession talks between Skopje and the EU can begin. North Macedonia must also implement the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria, as well as the two protocols attached to it.
Mickoski made the remarks after being asked by journalists whether North Macedonia could realistically continue its European path without those constitutional changes.
“There can be no more concessions regarding identity, no step backwards regarding our national criteria, regardless of the price. If this is the price we have to pay, although we are the true leader, then as long as this government is in power, it is ready to pay that price. If bilateral processes are really what should judge our European path, then we will fight in a different way,” Mickoski said during a joint press conference with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
He pointed out that North Macedonia began its path toward the European Union 26 years ago with the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.
“Together with the Republic of Croatia, we received candidate status, even a few months earlier, I think. Together with Croatia, we received the first positive report from the European Commission in 2009 to begin negotiations. Unfortunately, our path took another direction, meaning that our integration into the EU turned into a bilateralization of the process. Bilateral issues became more important than the Copenhagen criteria, which created great disappointment among us as Macedonian citizens, because we believe we have long deserved our place in this family,” the prime minister said.
He added that Skopje had been presented with yet another similar demand and that, unfortunately, the previous government had accepted it, believing that “if they signed a blank sheet of paper, they would stay in power.”
“Our strategy as a government is different. We will focus on implementation at home and on reforms that are part of the Growth Plan and the reform agenda, and here, in the January report of the European Commission, we are leading. Most of the funds the EU gives to the Western Balkan countries will enter our budget. We expect this momentum to continue in the next report as well. Our strategy is to continue reforms at home — we need them as a state. We are ready to implement the action plan for minorities. We worked on it together in Brussels and with experts from Brussels, and it is completed. We deliver, we do not just speak empty words. We truly want to be part of this community, to which we have long belonged. As long as bilateral disputes, in this case from one member state toward us, remain our obstacle, what we have long deserved will become increasingly distant. We are not losing hope or energy, we are working hard and expect to get that chance,” Mickoski stressed. | BGNES