Skopje, 29 July 2024 (MIA) – Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski reiterated the position involving the EU negotiating framework and the constitutional changes, set as a condition for the country’s EU integration process to continue, that the adoption of changes to the Constitution is an acceptable alternative only if they have delayed action – to enter into force once a decision is made for the country to officially join the EU. 

“I don’t intend to accept mistakes from the past that are disastrous. Unfortunately, these mistakes were accepted by some politicians from the international community and now we are stuck. And we have been stuck for more than 2,5 decades. For 2,5 decades we have been talking about the European perspective and there’s always more. Those who have been stating this should start doing things in practice. And we have given them a way – delayed action is one of the ways,” said Mickoski when asked for a comment about the alternative to the existing negotiating framework, adding he has discussed it with all international representatives. 

Politicians, he said, shouldn’t comment legal acts, they should develop strategies according to the policies we champion.

Referring once again to the Court for Human Rights, Mickoski reiterated that the European court had handed down 14 judgements in favor of the Macedonian community in Bulgaria. 

Asked whether he would ask the Macedonian citizens holding Bulgarian passports to renounce them, he said it was an individual decision. He insisted that the Macedonian citizens had been applying for Bulgarian passports primarily due to economic reasons. 

“If we had a normal process, like those of all new EU member countries, I assure you that no Macedonian citizen would have applied for a Bulgarian passport. It is all due to the injustice we’ve been experiencing for 2,5 decades waiting to start negotiating,” he told reporters. 

In weekend’s interview with Radio Free Europe, European Union Ambassador David Geer said he expects implementation of all recommendations of the EU peer review mission, stressing there is no appetite in Brussels to revisit the negotiating framework, while finding it absurd to see political appointments at all levels instead of individuals based on competence and meritocracy.

Photo: MIA