Prilep, 31 March 2022 (MIA) – The very fact that a Census is taking place after 20 years is a success in itself. We have conducted a Census that does not diverge from the tradition in the country, region and Europe over the past few decades. It is not the best census in the history of Europe but one that takes into account the highest EU standards, said President Stevo Pendarovski on Thursday. The President said he based his assessment from yesterday’s presentation of the Census results but also the comments provided by the EU expert. On the seven percent of the population that is counted but lacks ethnicity and religion attributes, the President said controversies are always there, especially in the Balkan region, while adding there is no census, both in Europe and the world, which encompasses the entire population. “Unfortunately, those seven percent in our country are the result of the boycott by some political stakeholders. It is obvious this had an effect in certain parts of the country. Of course, the pandemic also had a part in this,” Pendarovski told journalists in Prilep.