Skopje, 1 October 2024 (MIA) - SDSM leader Venko Filipche said Tuesday that Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski was told by the European Council leadership that he should not consider a delayed implementation of the constitutional amendments or changes to the Negotiating Framework.

"According to the information we have from Brussels, PM Mickoski was told at the meeting with European Council President Charles Michel that he should not consider a delayed implementation of the constitutional amendments or changes to the Negotiating Framework. Therefore, they should clearly say how they plan to move the country forward. For the time being, we are only seeing demagogy on their part," Filipche told a press conference on the Government's 100 days in office.

The SDSM leader said the French proposal is a set of complex documents that is a win for the country's diplomacy.

"The French proposal is a set of complex documents that also includes the Negotiating Framework and the Friendship Treaty. This is not a bad thing, this is a win for our diplomacy. First, the bilateral issue with Bulgaria is raised at an EU-level discussion. Furthermore, the concept of the Friendship Treaty is part of the Copenhagen criteria. Unlike Serbia, where relations with Kosovo are put in a separate chapter, the Friendship Treaty is only mentioned in the general part of the Negotiating Framework. Therefore, the principles of our path forward are clear," said Filipche.

According to him, the fact that the Bulgarian minority would be included in the Constitution is a serious benefit, since it shatters a decades-long Bulgarian policy that the Macedonian and Bulgarian peoples are a single nation in two states.

"This issue is practically reduced from one of identity to the level of minority. It is unfortunate this government came to power on the wave of a big lie that they would improve our position in the EU negotiations. On the contrary, they have worsened it. All they have done over the past 100 days is to worsen our relations with Greece and Bulgaria. They neither say how the country will move forward nor the timeframe of this process. The PM, VMRO-DPMNE, ZNAM and Worth It are not saying if there is another alternative, or we stay fully isolated as an appendix on the Balkans," noted Filipche.

The SDSM leader said announcements over destabilization in the country only serve to defocus the public from the real problems.

"The authorities should act differently if the announcements are taken seriously, but since they don't, we believe this serves only to defocus from the real problems we are facing. For example, after the first statement of a possible destabilization over the summer, the PM went on vacation. The President does not intend to summon the Security Council. The EU train is getting further away, we have been decoupled from Albania and we are put in the group with Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hence, I really do not believe in these things," stressed Filipche.

MIA file photo