Skopje, 3 February 2024 (MIA) - The country and its people need a President with a clear vision of a safe, secure and prosperous European future, a person who unifies, not one who sows divisions and hinders processes, says SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski.

"Not only because completion of the EU accession means realization of a strategic national interest that has been defined since our independence, and not only because this is the majority will of Macedonian citizens. This is required because it will lead to higher wages, better jobs and standard of life, and complete transformation of the institutional system," Kovachevski told Lokalno.

According to him, SDSM and the pro-European political entities will, as always, be up to the task and respond to this need for the citizens and the country.

"We will nominate a pro-European candidate for president, one who is close to the people, accepted by them, an honest and credible person, a proven champion of democratic processes and international democratic policies, which is especially important amid the current geopolitical context. A pro-European president who will give the wind at the back of the new pro-European government led by SDSM, an executive that will bring the country into the EU in a few years," says Kovachevski.

He adds that support from the EU will increase through new programmes and funds once North Macedonia joins the Union.

"The developments of Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland are examples of this. When it comes to foreign direct investments, they rose by an average of 28 percent in the first five years of EU membership. Analyses show that an EU member gets 11 times more funds per capita compared to a Union candidate-state. These funds are invested in new jobs, better standard of life and European values. This is something that young people in our country expect. We have a unique opportunity to join the EU by 2030 and we will not let this chance get away," notes Kovachevski.

Photo: SDSM