Skopje, 12 April 2023 (MIA) – Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European affairs Bojan Marichikj said on Wednesday that the working group charged with drafting the constitutional amendments will meet after the holidays and draft the proposals, which will then be followed by a public debate.

“We are using the full timeframe that we have, and we are moving based on the assumption that everyone will act responsibly and be up to the task. The Ministry of Justice invited parties and experts to nominate representatives. Most of them have done so. The group will meet immediately after the holidays and formulate the proposals for the constitutional changes. We expect that this formulation will then be followed by a public discussion, and then enter into Parliament,” said Deputy PM Bojan Marichikj in an interview for TV 24.

Marichikj said he assumes that the public perception of the process being forced through is because a part of the public hoped that this task will disappear or be realized later. We don’t want to lose time, said the Deputy MP, we have already begun negotiations, the screening is underway.

“Experience has shown that if we leave these issues unsolved, they become more difficult through the years, rather than easier. Additionally, we must also consider the fact that this year is crucial for solving certain issues in the region. This is why there is pressure to solve the issue with Kosovo and the situation in Montenegro. Next year is an election year for the EU as well, and they will need six months to organize the new European institutions,” said Marichikj.

According to the Deputy PM, the EU’s approach to Ukraine also creates a sense of urgency that these issues need to be solved sooner.

“This is why the working group should discuss a rational manner in which to propose the constitutional changes so that we can gain the votes of 80 MPs,” said Marichikj.

Asked if a two-third majority is possible at this point, the Deputy PM said he thinks it is possible if everyone remains focused on the tasks from the negotiating framework.

“I know that other issues will be raised as well, because the political parties hinted this, and it is their legitimate right, but I believe that it would be best to leave these issues for a later stage, and instead focus on gaining 80 MPs for the inclusion of parts of the Montenegrin, Croatian and Bulgarian people to the Preamble of the Constitution,” said Marichikj.

Marichikj expressed regret that VMRO-DPMNE is missing the opportunity to participate in such a crucial process, as they did with the country’s NATO accession.

“The constitutional changes are contained in the negotiating framework and must be adopted. VMRO-DPMNE has changed its position several times. First, they sought guarantees, and now they are hiding behind the Croatian model of Constitution. It turns out that it is not the Bulgarians that they have an issue with, but the status of the communities in the country, and they want to steer the debate to whether they are minorities or parts of national communities,” said Marichikj.

According to Marichikj, incorporating other communities within the Constitution will not affect the unitary nature of North Macedonia as a state.

In the interview, the Deputy PM said if the constitutional changes aren’t adopted in Parliament, the negotiations, which have de facto and de jure begun, will be blocked. When there are disputes, they must be solved, said Marichikj, pointing to the dispute between Croatia and Slovenia during Croatia’s EU accession talks.

“There will be many other things that we will have to change which are not related to identity, and which will be painful and difficult, but not from this aspect,” said Marichikj, adding that EU accession will lead to numerous financial benefits for the country.