The Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski once again requested a conclusion from the European Council that there will no longer be obstacles on the country's European path. In an interview on MRT 1, which lasted more than two hours and was dedicated to the two years of his government's rule, Mickoski stated that the government of North Macedonia does not want the country to simply enter the race, but to finish it, BTA reported.
„We cannot ignore the "elephant in the room", but let's see if this (the changes to the constitution) is the last (...) If so, let's formalize it somehow. And this is not a guarantee, but every conclusion (of the European Council) receives the support of all member states, which does not mean that tomorrow some country will not change its mind, but it is better than the current situation. With such a conclusion, we will have institutional memory and we will always be able to refer to this”, said Mickoski regarding the conditions for the start of negotiations between the country and the EU.
He again developed his thesis about Bulgaria's request for a change in the country's constitution and the inclusion of Bulgarians in it because of the disrespect for the human rights of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia.
„Let's analyze this. We are politicians, not human rights experts, and we can abuse this topic. There is an institution in Europe where there are human rights experts - the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. And it makes decisions in certain cases based on facts, evidence (...) This institution has many times so far pronounced verdicts that the human rights of the Macedonian community in our eastern neighbor have been violated and not once (has it made a decision about violated human rights) for the Bulgarian community in our country. If the result is 14:0, what human rights and changes to the constitution are we talking about in our country? ... If this applies to us, it should also apply to them. Our eastern neighbor adopted a resolution, signed a Convention, which means that it must guarantee the human rights of the Macedonian community and implement the judgments from Strasbourg, allow them to organize - culturally, socially, publicly. They (Bulgaria) do not do it because this Zhivkovite policy, which has been going on for decades, denying Macedonian identity, brings fear to their bones, because this association will have the right to have its own representative in the Council of Ministers for Minorities. And it will identify itself, it will legitimize itself”, said Mickoski, according to whom his government “with wisdom, tactics and strategy” must correct “what has already been done” by the previous government of the country, with the signing of the negotiating framework.
Mickoski made references to the protocols between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, which also include the work of the Joint Historical Commission, as well as to the words of the Prime Minister of Bulgaria during his visit to St. Petersburg in 2019 in his capacity as president.
”Then in his capacity as president of Bulgaria he says that writing comes from there (from Bulgaria) and reaches the Russian Federation. And he tells them: we gave you writing, and you liberated us, and we will forever glorify the Russian sacrifice for an independent Bulgaria, i.e. San Stefano Bulgaria. Now, I don't have to say what San Stefano Bulgaria is, what geographical boundaries San Stefano Bulgaria has and what this means, translated into modern times - Protocol 1 and Protocol 2. In politics, you have to analyze strategically before signing and be aware of the possible challenges", said Mickoski.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia said that he does not expect there to be “any changes in the European integration process of North Macedonia, because this is a treaty that can only be changed with consensus” by the EU member states.
“I do not expect any of the EU member states to want to change this treaty, because they would lose part of their positions. "But then, in my opinion, the two most influential (EU) member states - France and Germany - have made a proposal that will both accelerate integration and give the Western Balkans region opportunities," said Mickoski, referring to the non-paper by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, presented at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro.
He pointed out that during his meetings in Tivat with Macron and Merz, he had clearly defined what he thought "could be added or removed from their proposal."
“Because if their proposal is tied to the closure of clusters (...), then I don't see the expediency (for North Macedonia). Maybe it would be enough to find some other mechanism, like the Growth Plan or the Reform Plan, and in this way provide support to the Western Balkan countries. This was my proposal at these meetings. I think I attracted attention, we'll see if this will be taken into account, but in any case I am satisfied that constructive solutions are being sought within the limits of what is possible, to offer a European perspective to the region. And that is good. This is better than a political quagmire”, said Mickoski.