Skopje, 15 November 2022 (MIA) – Now is the best moment to work together. I am here to send a clear political message from our political family, the second largest political group in the European Parliament with over 150 MEPs and eight commissioners. I am here to support the new momentum of the accession process and congratulate the government and Prime Minister Kovachevski on his achievements not only in the accession process, but also for the social policies, said MEP and Leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Iratxe García Pérez at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Tuesday. García Pérez said it took leadership to make the difficult decisions but they are worth it because they will bring a better future to the citizens of North Macedonia. At the same time, she highlighted the importance of the progressive measures carried out during the crisis, the way the government is taking care of the people, raising the average and minimum wage, providing subsidies for electricity and basic products. “I know I am here at a very important moment. North Macedonia belongs in the EU, it is part of the European family and we will work very closely with you, but your future is in your hands, in the will of Parliament and the citizens. It is important to put partisan interests aside and join force to find a compromise on the necessary reforms, put the national interests above party interests, to be part of the EU is not a government interest but it is the interest of the citizens and the country,” said García Pérez, who is set to visit Albania on Wednesday. She stated that there will be an important summit in Tirana on December 6, and announced that on December 8 the Social Democrats will organize a progressive Western Balkans summit in Vienna to prepare a strategy which would give a new impetus to enlargement in the region. “We have a lot of things to do together. When we are together, we are stronger and we need to cooperate,” said García Pérez. Prime Minister Kovachevski spoke about beginning negotiations on July 19, which, he said, marked a new chapter in the relations with the EU, about the screening process expected to end in 14 months and the Frontex agreement which confirmed the protection of the Macedonian language and identity. The goal is, he said, full-fledged EU membership, as a reward for the European path which will not be easy. “The European path now solely depends on us, i.e, it depends on the 120 MPs in Parliament, who are the representatives of the citizens, and the citizens want a better life, want the country to be an EU member state, their children to stay in the country and build their future here,” said Kovachevski. He said that the EU has demonstrated that it is a trustworthy partner and it has fulfilled all its promises, he mentioned Ursula von der Leyen’s visit during which she promised 80 million euro to help North Macedonia tackle the energy crisis. In addition, he presented the government measures in this regard, which, he said, have demonstrated that they are a responsible government that follows the social democratic principles by raising the minimum wage, the average wage and pensions with the end goal of raising the living standard of the citizens and protecting the most vulnerable categories of citizens. “Only this kind of responsible approach can lead to improvements in such a short period. With this responsible approach we managed to find a solution with the students on the subsidized student meal, it will continue to be implemented in line with the old criteria. Let us not forget that the subsidized student meal was introduced for the first time by this government two years ago. For thirty years no one sat with the students to discuss their issues. At my own initiative I went to Parliament and discussed the issues with the student organizations,” said Kovachevski. He reiterated that the students have the right to express their positions and be a part of the creation of policies that affect them and society. “For too long we have only talked about chambers, unions, growth rates, income and profits, while neglecting the students. This is why the students will participate in the drafting of the law. The students are the future of this country,” stressed PM Kovachevski and announced that he will propose their participation in the drafting of the new higher education legislation, while the solutions for the law on subsidized student meals will be finalized at the beginning of 2023. The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats has 145 MEPs and is the second largest group in the European Parliament. It stands for social democratic values and its priorities are the provision of basic social rights for everyone, a just tax system, the promotion of equal opportunities, fair treatment for men and women and the fight against all forms of discrimination, inclusive digital union for Europe and clean and accessible energy for every European citizen. ad/sk/