Osmani: Sad that European perspective of citizens is placed in the function of certain politicians’ future
Skopje, 18 August 2022 (MIA) – Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said the country has started the EU accession negotiations on the day of holding the first intergovernmental conference, but it won’t be able to open Chapter 23 if the Constitution is not changed.
“We will complete the screening, but we cannot open Chapter 23 if we don’t change the Constitution. That is a compromise solution, because the position of the Republic of Bulgaria was firm to the last moment – that there’s no start of negotiations without making those constitutional amendments,” Osmani told Kanal 5 TV on Thursday.
He stressed that amendments to the Constitution include the Croatian, Montenegrin and Bulgarian communities along with the other six communities already included in the Preamble.
Asked whether he fears that a two-thirds majority may not be secured for the constitutional amendments, Osmani said that during the talks with Bulgaria he had communicated with representatives of the Macedonian opposition, and didn’t hear an argument from any party against the inclusion of Bulgarians in the Constitution.
“The inclusion of the Bulgarians in our Constitution is good and in the interest of the Macedonians, the Macedonian people and the Republic of North Macedonia, because for the first time relation between majority Macedonian population and Bulgarian minority community is defined institutionally. For the first time in the history of relations we have formal institutionalization of this relation, which makes it irreversible. I have heard this from VMRO-DPMNE representatives,” Osmani said.
According to him, he has heard even from VMRO-DPMNE representatives the opinion that it was a mistake not to include the Bulgarians in the Constitution when constitutional amendments were made in 2001, and now this issue was used for daily politics.
“It’s sad that the European perspective, the strategic issues of the citizens, the standard of the citizens, their future, are being placed in the function of the political and party future of certain politicians. That’s sad,” Osmani said.
He added that in the coming “15 months of the screening” and until we reach Chapter 23, authorities will try to expose all those who want to put their careers before the country’s strategic interests.
Osmani said he was not in favor of a referendum on this issue because citizens have stated their opinion regarding the European perspective.
As regards reactions from the civil society against the French proposal, Osmani stressed that he, too, wanted an ideal clean European process.
“However, unfortunately, real politics doesn’t work like that. The French proposal is not a proposal that starts from scratch. The French proposal is a continuation of several attempts by several presidencies. So, if, of course, we were to speak from the perspective of some ideal purist concept of European integrations, then OK, we could find remarks. But the question is, dis we start negotiations after 17 years? Yes, we did start negotiations, just like Albania. Are the national, identity issues of any nation in the Republic of North Macedonia threatened? I most responsibly claim – no. Those are fake information to scare the citizens in order to score political points,” said Osmani.
