Skopje, 30 November 2024 (MIA) — Commenting on recent events related to the desecration of the Macedonian flag, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski urged members of the public to remain calm and "not fall to provocations." He said the events would not jeopardize but further strengthen the relationship within the government coalition and with citizens.

PM Mickoski said law authorities had responded "very soberly to this without escalating it" and arrested the suspects, who are being prosecuted under Article 319 of the Criminal Code.

"Let me also warn you that Article 319 of the Criminal Code applies not only to the national flag but also to flags of other countries. So I urge calm. Let's not fall to provocations," Mickoski said.

He said the incidents had happened because "these people are afraid of the millions they have earned on the backs of ordinary people and now they know the time for justice has come." 

"Justice is slow but it is coming," the prime minister said.

"My message to citizens regardless of ethnicity, Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Serbs, Vlachs, Roma, Bosniaks, everyone... is: Don't fall for these people. Don't fall for this because in a few months, they will be truly gone from the political scene. They will be defeated in the local elections and leave the political scene for good," he said. mr/